Why One Tenant per Brand is Always the Way to Go
What is a Multi-Site/Single-Tenant setup?
A Multi-Site/Single-Tenant setup refers to a configuration in which several front-end websites are connected to and operate under a single Tenant.
On Paper, it Sounds Pretty Good
When wineries consider how to structure their direct-to-consumer (DTC) business in Commerce7, the idea of running multiple brands under a single tenant sometimes comes up.
Initially, it sounds pretty good: one system, one login, one set of admin tools. But in reality, this setup creates more problems than it solves - especially for your customers.
Remember Why Your Separate Brands Exist
Why were separate brands originally created? It's likely because each brand has a distinct purpose and audience. A premium reserve label tells one story, a lifestyle label tells another, and a trendy limited-release brand speaks to yet another demographic. Blending them together in one tenant undercuts the very reason they exist.
Why Consolidation Seems Appealing
The most common reasons wineries lean toward a single-tenant setup are:
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Back office efficiency: fewer systems to juggle.
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Cost savings: one tenant seems cheaper.
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Cross-selling potential: hope that one brand’s customers will discover another.
All of these motivations make sense internally. But the danger is that they ignore what matters most: the customer’s experience.
Why Commerce7 Advises Against It
The bottom line: it’s a bad customer experience. A multi-brand/single-tenant setup introduces friction, frustration, and confusion in ways that directly erode loyalty. Here’s why:
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Unintentional unsubscribes
When a customer opts out of one brand’s emails, they are automatically unsubscribed from all brands. That’s not just frustrating - it’s costly. -
Customer confusion with email domains
All messages are sent from a single domain, regardless of brand. For a customer who only knows and cares about Brand A, seeing Brand B in the same inbox is confusing at best, and alienating at worst. -
Generic transaction flows
Password resets, order confirmations, and other automated emails all point to a single URL. Instead of reinforcing the brand a customer believes they’re interacting with, these communications feel off-brand, impersonal, and confusing. -
Loss of targeted marketing
When all customers are thrown into a single pool, you lose the ability to tailor campaigns. Segmentation becomes blunt, messaging becomes diluted, and the very purpose of maintaining separate brands - serving distinct audiences - is lost.
The Customer’s Perspective
Customers don’t think in terms of parent companies or holding groups. Very few people can name all the brands under Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, or Unilever. They buy Sprite, Tide, or Dove - not “the Unilever experience.”
The same is true in wine. A customer who shops Robert Mondavi doesn’t necessarily know (or care) that the same parent company owns The Prisoner. For them, those are distinct journeys, distinct identities, and distinct loyalties. Combining those experiences under one roof muddies the waters.
The Data on Cross-Selling
Even if cross-promotion were the goal, the numbers don’t support it. Across Commerce7 tenants, data consistently shows less than 10% of customers engage across brands. In other words, the hoped-for synergies simply don’t materialize at a meaningful level.
The Bottom Line
Multi-brand/single-tenant setups are:
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Confusing for customers
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Internally motivated, not externally beneficial
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Eroding brand clarity and trust
And most importantly: they create a worse customer experience.
Better Alternatives
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If cost is the concern: Our team can help make multiple tenants cost-neutral.
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If cross-selling is the goal: Use the Master Customer App—it’s built to help you effectively manage your customers across multiple Commerce7 tenants.
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If back-office efficiency is the issue: We can help you streamline operations without sacrificing brand identity.
Focus on What Wins
The DTC programs that succeed are the ones that put the customer first. Your brands were built to serve distinct audiences—let Commerce7 help you keep them distinct, clear, and compelling.
Because in the end, customer-focused programs always win.