Company Description – Established in 1988, Sprucewood Shores is a family-owned winery and tourism destination located on the shores of Lake Erie. As Canada’s only beachfront winery, it combines estate-grown wine production with on-site retail, hospitality experiences, wine club memberships, private events, and wholesale distribution to restaurants and LCBO locations across Ontario. Recognized as a destination for both local visitors and tourists, Sprucewood Shores plays an important role in supporting the province’s wine, hospitality, and tourism sectors.

As the business expanded, disconnected systems for point-of-sale, inventory, customer records, online sales, and event management created administrative inefficiencies and limited operational visibility. Manual data entry and fragmented workflows reduced staff productivity, complicated inventory management, and limited opportunities to deliver personalized customer service.

Project Description – Through the Retail Modernization Project Grant (RMPG), Sprucewood Shores implemented the Odoo retail management platform, supported by new tablets and barcode scanners. The new system centralizes POS, inventory, CRM, online sales, and event management, providing real-time inventory visibility, automated reporting, streamlined workflows, and stronger front- and back-of-house coordination.

Project Impact – The new platform has reduced manual administration, improved inventory accuracy, and strengthened data-driven decision-making. Staff now spend less time on routine administrative work and more time supporting customers, optimizing inventory, and enhancing the visitor experience. The modernization also enabled Sprucewood Shores to retain a key Retail Operations Coordinator position, allowing the role to focus on higher-value responsibilities such as customer service, inventory optimization, and business support.

By modernizing its digital infrastructure, Sprucewood Shores is on track to achieve a 30 per cent increase in productivity, approximately $25,000 in annual cost savings, and 1,000 labour hours saved annually, establishing a scalable foundation for continued growth across its retail, hospitality, and wholesale business.