Asda cuts wine range by 8% but adds new range of lesser known varietals among 200 new lines

By Arabella Mileham

Published: 13 May, 2015

Asda has overhauled its entire wine range, cutting its total range by around 8% in order to rationalise the offer and accommodate more than 200 new products.

Ed Ashley, senior buying manager of Wine at Asda said the move, which followed a strategic review 14-16 months ago, marked the biggest change to its wines in five years.

"We looked at our range with a view to strip out duplication and make it simpler. There are new products and we are being clearer about he tiers and what we do with that," he told Harpers.co.uk. "We've cut 8% of the range just to make room for the choice."

As part of the changes, the retailer has introducing a new range of 17 mid-label wines, cater for overlooked regions and new varietals, primarily from Europe. Priced between £4.99 and £7, the Wine Atlas range includes a Feteasca Regala from Romanian producer Cramele Recas, a Chilean Carmenere 2013, a Furmit Tokaji from Hungary, a Tempranillo from Cigales, and wines from Germany, Italy and France.

It has also added eight new wines to its Extra Special range and amalgamated its Wine Selection range into its existing Winemakers Choice range, which will now number 29 wines, and rolled out new packaging to boost its premium cues.

"We felt the packaging was not consistent so people couldn't find it on shelf, and the packaging also didn't reflect the quality of the wine in the bottle," Philippa Carr MW told Harpers.co.uk.

Ashley added that although it had been very clear about the quality and had worked with wineries and producers to achieve this, they hadn't shown this to its customers. "We want to make it clear we're proud of the range and make it more consistent," he said.

Asda is also creating a special fixture for it fruit-flavoured wines and spritz, which includes the Echo Falls Fruit Fusion lines, some Gallo lines including Gallo Spritz and Barefoot refresh, as well as its own label Spritzini products and some lower alcohol wine-based drinks.

"Echo Falls has sold 8m bottles since it launched, but people didn't know where to find it once it was off promotion or the seasonal event, " Ashley said. "It will be a really clear section, nd there is a lot of new product that will sit alongside it."

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