Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Multiples: Mixed Xmas 2023 for BWS

Published: 12 February, 2024

Some supermarkets reported buoyant sales over the festive period. James Bayley crunches the numbers.

Multiples: Healthy year-round growth for low & no

Published: 22 January, 2024

Supermarkets are reporting a consistent uptick in sales of this much-talked about category– and not just during the traditional post-festive period. James Bayley reports.

BWS Christmas sales down for UK multiples

Published: 11 January, 2024

Despite record spend on groceries during Christmas in UK supermarkets, sales of beer, wine and spirits were all in decline over the same period.

Master of Malt partners with Sainsbury's

Published: 18 September, 2023

One of the UK’s leading craft spirits retailers, Master of Malt, has announced a partnership with 52 selected Sainsbury’s stores across the UK.

Retail market starting to return to pre-Covid norms

Published: 04 July, 2022

According to Kantar, sales are falling at all the major multiples, but it’s not all doom and gloom. During the 12 weeks to 12 June, supermarket sales, including alcohol, groceries and softs, fell 1.9% year on year. Supermarket alcohol sales are also declining, down 12% year on year in the same period.

Harpers Exclusive: The Wines Direct Consumer Award winners 2022

Published: 30 May, 2022

Now in its fourth year, Harpers can exclusively reveal the 2022 Wine Direct Awards results.

Concha y Toro celebrates B Corp status with social media campaign

Published: 02 March, 2022

Concha y Toro, the UK’s second-largest wine company by retail sales, will mark B Corp month with a wide-ranging social media campaign.

Cono Sur rolls out organic range

Published: 20 May, 2020

Chilean producer Concha y Toro has launched a new organic range under its Cono Sur label.

Mike Coupe to retire as Sainsbury’s CEO

Published: 22 January, 2020

Sainsbury's has announced its CEO Mike Coupe will retire from the supermarket group in May this year.

Checkout free shopping trial sees alcohol removed from shelves

Published: 30 April, 2019

The need for age verification has led the first UK till-free supermarket to remove wines, beers and spirits from its shelves.

CMA blocks Sainsbury’s and Asda merger

Published: 25 April, 2019

The proposed merger between Sainsbury’s and Asda has been blocked by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

Bruce Jack UK launch

Published: 22 November, 2018

Prominent South African winemaker Bruce Jack officially launched his new eponymous wine range yesterday at High Timber restaurant in London.

Suppliers “operate in a climate of fear” warns FDF in Asda-Sainsbury’s probe

Published: 14 November, 2018

“Suppliers effectively operate in a climate of fear as Sainsbury’s and Asda act as gatekeepers to the market”, the Food and Drinks Federation (FDF) has said in the latest round of consultations on the proposed supermarket merger.

We're in the money?

Published: 04 May, 2018

An increasingly competitive retail environment has led to yet another mega-merger, this time between Asda and Sainsbury’s. We ask what this new giant force could have in store for wine

Think Rum reveals this year’s winners

Published: 05 February, 2018

Think Rum revealed the winners of this year’s awards at the second annual event held last week, with Sly Augustin taking the prestigious Rum Champion of the Year gong and the Best Individual Rum Bar award.

Sainsbury’s reports strong first quarter growth

Published: 04 July, 2017

Sainsbury’s has reported 2.3% growth in like-for-like first quarter sales, excluding fuel, compared to a 0.3% increase seen in the previous quarter, partly in thanks to the sunny start to the summer.

Wine buying hits shoppers' sweet spots at the multiples

Published: 28 March, 2017

High levels of shopper-satisfaction and the willingness of consumers to linger in the wine aisle, are presenting opportunities to engage the customer and drive trade-up sales, a new supermarket study has suggested.

"Worrying" times for Sainsbury's as supermarket points to unstable climate for sales set-back

Published: 16 March, 2017

Sainsbury's has warned of "very competitive" trading conditions in the wake of the post-Brexit sterling slump as the supermarket suffered a slight sales decline in the fourth quarter of the financial year.

Viña Santa Rita partners with National Gallery for art-inspired collaboration

Published: 24 February, 2017

Top Chilean label Viña Santa Rita has paired up with London's National Gallery for a three-year partnership linking wine and art.

Supermarket sweep: A week in review

Published: 17 February, 2017

On the international stage, the big news this week has been dominated by an increasingly maddening number of acronyms and portmanteaus - CETA, Brexit, TTIP - as the top echelon of global businesses and governments on both sides of the Atlantic make decisions which will impact the immediate future of the trade.