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Best buyers understand and work with their suppliers, hears Wine Buyers Forum

Published:  12 March, 2014

The best wine buyers are the ones that do their homework on their suppliers, know their market, understand their customers and choose wines that match their own business agenda, according to two former supermarket heads of wine speaking at this week's inaugural Wine Buyers Forum i n Windsor.

 

The best wine buyers are the ones that do their homework on their suppliers, know their market, understand their customers and choose wines that match their own business agenda, according to two former supermarket heads of wine speaking at this week's inaugural Wine Buyers Forum i n Windsor.

Both Angela Mount and Justin Howard-Sneyd, former heads of wine at Somerfield and Waitrose respectively, told delegates at the forum that the best wine buyers are those that work with their suppliers to build long term relationships and there is often little to be gained by being aggressive and over demanding in buying negotiations.

What's more they agreed the best approach for a wine buyer is to be clear, open and transparent about the targets and goals of your business rather than sit back and expect the supplier to know what it is you are looking for.

If you can help a supplier truly understand your business goals then you are far more likely to be offered the best choice of wine at the right price, they said.  Only by establishing a level playing of trust and respect will buyers and suppliers work most effectively together, agreed Mount and Howard-Sneyd.

They were speaking as part of a series of business workshops that ran alongside targeted 30 minute meetings between buyers and suppliers over the two-day event.

The Wine Buyers Forum, which was organised by the publishers of Harpers, William Reed Business Media, was the first time this format of back to back meetings, popular in other industries like banking, insurance and health, has been tried in the UK trade. It has, however, proved a popular concept in the United States.

Buyers, if they wanted, were able to hold up 18 30 minute meetings with suppliers that included both producers and UK importers with wineries having travelled as far as New Zealand and Argentina to take part.

The forum attracted buyers from all channels of the industry including the Co-op, Oddbins, Michelin-starred restaurants, hotel groups, leading sommeliers, and a number of independent wine merchants.

They were able to hear first-hand advice on how to improve their buying skills from leading trade figures including Mount, Howard-Sneyd, Jerry Lockspeiser, chairman of Off Piste Wines and Sarah Abbott MW.

Tim Wilson of the Wilson Drinks Report and Mark Newton and Matthew Crompton of CGA  also gave insights in to the key trends taking place in the on and off-trade sectors.

The Wine Buyers Forum was held at Windsor's Beaumont Estate between March 10-11.

  • There will be a behind the scenes report on the Wine Buyers Forum in the April issue of Harpers with extended coverage on Harpers. co.uk.

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