'It's the best money I ever spent on technology,' says GBG customer.

WATERLOO, Ontario -- Wine distributor expands shelf space with pre-sell application

Facing a growing consumer demand for variety and competition from larger distributors, Joe Blumetti, owner of Ohio Wine and Beverage Co. in Ohio was looking for a technology that would improve the sales capabilities of his team.

Blumetti chose GBG's Virtual Cooler to help maintain and expand his existing retail space. "In the Direct-Store-Delivery (DSD) market, gaining and maintaining shelf space is one of our biggest challenges," Blumetti explained.

Six months into the installation and Blumetti is more than pleased with the enhanced functionality that Virtual Cooler has delivered. "Now the salesperson manages the order themselves. They get to see what they're ordering, sales history, what's in the inventory and what's in stock - and that's just the beginning. We've benefited tremendously from the amount of information we're able to show the customer on site."

Virtual Cooler is a full-screen mobile application designed for the DSD. It provides pre-sell functionality to manage sales activities on route and feeds this information back to the company's Route Accounting System (RAS).

"It's the best money I ever spent on technology," concluded Blumetti. "And the cost is not prohibitive."

For the full case study go to www.gbg.com/case_study.asp?IndustryID=Wine&CaseStudyID=23

About GBG

GBG is the largest, most successful and most experienced provider of sales and distribution software for the direct-store and direct-home-delivery of consumer packaged goods. GBG's solutions are used every day by approximately 700 organizations that distribute soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits, water, snacks, candy and tobacco. GBG is headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario with operations in Austin, TX; Charlotte, NC; Dallas, TX; Durham, NC; Denver, CO; Lancaster, PA; and San Diego, CA. www.gbg.com