Maximising sales and fostering brand attachment: the power of great expectations in the Australian cellar door experience

Purpose The cellar door experience, integral to wine tourism, is also a profitable direct-to-customer sales opportunity for many winery businesses. Beyond conventional features, it establishes crucial brand attachment. This study aims to investigate the influence of customer expectations, mood, emotion and personality on purchasing decisions and loyalty behaviour during a cellar door experience. Design/methodology/approach A Bayesian Network was created from 136 responses to a questionnaire completed during a cellar door tasting experience in seven Australian wine regions. The network provided a graphical representation of the joint probability outcomes of the 42 measured variables. Findings Interpretation of the influence of variables on five outcome variables, measuring purchase and loyalty behaviours, reveals that purchases are maximised when expectations are exceeded; and that individual mood and personality have a moderating influence. Practical implications Crafting experiences that surpass expectations is crucial. This has implications for cellar door management and staff, who must tailor experiences and recognise the nuanced role of individual states and traits in shaping purchasing and loyalty behaviours. Understanding and leveraging these dynamics in a competitive market is vital for maximising sales and building lasting brand connections. Originality/value The use of a Bayesian network provides a different approach to understanding the dyadic relationship co-created by staff and customers during the cellar door experience. A more nuanced appreciation of the essential elements to create successful experiences provides direction for staff, management and future research.