On-trade supplier Matthew Clark toasts bumper December as sales top £100m

By Gemma McKenna

Published: 20 January, 2015

On-trade drinks supplier Matthew Clark says December was its most successful month ever as sales broke the £100 million mark, as customers plumped for top-end wines and Champagnes.

The group saw wine sales increase across the board by 3%, with sales to boutique hotels soaring by 24%, while Champagne sales to the 'quality local' sector were up 37.8% on 2013.

As for sparkling wine, it grew volumes by 20% year on year, with both Champagne up 7% and Prosecco a whopping 43%.

Argentina's wine sales jumped 18%, and England rocketed 58% thanks to Matthew Clark's partnerships with English wineries including Chapel Down.

Sales in London saw double digit growth in December, with accounts within the M25 showing 13.3% growth year-on-year, three times that of the wider market at 4.4%.

Ian Smith, commercial director at Matthew Clark, said: "We are delighted with our Christmas results, which reflect Matthew Clark's ongoing commitment in supporting the on-trade and delivering quality and exceptional service to all our customers.

"Our dedication to developing our online ordering platform in line with customer needs is reflected in the very pleasing sales figures through this channel. Our wine-buying team works hard to source high quality wines from around the world, which is reflected in our successes with both premium wines and customer segments."

The group's online ordering platform saw sales increase 45% year on year, and a 68% uplift in those ordering online.

Last year the wholesaler overhauled its wine range, resulting in a 7% annual increase in sales, outperforming the sector as a whole where sales fell 13%, according to CGA figures to January 2014. It also radically changed its annual tasting to a more interactive event, and attracted 65% more visitors as a result.

Around a year ago, wine controller Laurie Davis told Harpers.co.uk that changing perceptions with top-end accounts had helped boost wine sales. "In some of the accounts we've won over from previous years are more high profile wine groups that previously didn't see us as a wine supplier but rather as good all-rounders with a wine element."

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