Virgin Wines has launched its first ever customer-facing app, marking what analysts describe as an important milestone for the UK direct-to-consumer specialist as it looks to deepen engagement and drive repeat purchasing.

The app, which has been soft launched over the past month, is now fully live and being marketed to prospective new users via iOS and Android.

According to CEO Jay Wright, Virgin’s new launch will, “open up a world of wine at our customers’ fingertips. The app enables users to explore our range and select their wines more easily than ever, while providing enhanced functionality, increased personalisation and exclusive app-only offers. We are confident the app will further enhance our customer experience and deliver strong engagement.”

Investment bank and advisory firm Cavendish also weighed in on the launch. Analysts said the app reflects the retailer’s continued focus on its core online model. Functionality has been designed to attract new users through a more streamlined experience, while also looking to strengthen long-term customer relationships via AI-driven recommendations and hyper-personalisation.

Central to this is the new ‘Wine Cellar’ feature, which allows users to rate wines, save tasting notes, revisit past purchases and build a library of favourites. Customers can also re-order quickly and receive tailored recommendations that evolve based on their preferences and behaviour.

Wright added: “We believe the app will also generate incremental sales from our existing members, as well as introducing an additional route to acquire new customers, representing clear progress against our medium-term growth strategy.”