Product Managers Know the Finnish Alcohol Market
The Norex product management team includes specialists in both wines and spirits. One of the wine product managers is Andreas ”Andy” Fanta, whose principal portfolio consists of a diverse range of large wine producers as well as small wineries run by individuals or families. The product managers’ work weeks are just as diverse.
”Usually, the week kicks off by reviewing sales and planning and coordinating various activations. We strive to keep our selection relevant and up to date, so there is tasting involved almost every day. Tender deadlines occur monthly, so they form a kind of framework for our work.”
Norex invests in employee expertise, so Andy often finds himself sparring with colleagues as well.
Andy values Norex as a humane family business where everyone knows what to do and what is expected of them. Knowing one’s own roles and strengths increases both productivity and job satisfaction. Andy has been with Norex for 11 years now.
”The goals are clear and encouraging, and we have nothing but top-notch people here who are a pleasure to work with.”
Andy sees Norex’s trump card as the ability to respond quickly to a changing market. Data-driven management makes the risks taken manageable, which often brings good results.
Andy discovered the industry and his interest in wines while working as a salesperson at Alko during his studies. The history, culture, stories and, of course, above all the taste of wines fascinated him. After graduating, he worked full-time at Alko for a while, from where he soon moved to work for an importer.
Regarding trends and future prospects in the alcohol industry, Andy sees non-alcoholic products, which have entered the market with a bang, as a ”kind of disruptive innovation.” He does not see non-alcoholic products as taking away from wines, but rather as an addition and supplement to the existing selection.
In addition to these, he believes that cycles rotate in the wine market and predicts a return to popularity for classics and Old World wines, such as Bordeaux and Burgundy wines.
Having worked in the industry for a long time, Andy has seen the alcohol industry renew itself and continue to renew itself in many other ways as well. For example, knowledge about wines has increased, so customers are more informed and know wines better all the time.
The green values of wines, responsibility and sustainable development will also be emphasized even more in the future. Wine regions and wines that can respond to these values and requirements will therefore grow.
One area growing in popularity is Sicily, and Andy highlights Crudo Nero D’avola Cabernet Sauvignon as well as Crudo Catarratto-Zibibbo, which you can find in our horeca selection. They too embody green values.
”Wines are a great reflection of where we are going as an industry. Quality, organic, sustainably produced, and packaged in environmentally responsible packaging.”
