Prosecco sales rocket while still wine lags

By Gemma McKenna

Published: 22 December, 2014

Off-trade alcohol sales have risen 2.4% to £14 billion, with volumes up 0.8% - and Italian sparkler Prosecco has seen the most stunning increase of all, with values up 55% throughout 2014.

That's according to Harpers.co.uk's sister title The Grocer, which has just published the results of its Top Products survey for 2014.

The number two sparkling wine brand, including Champagne, is Tesco exclusive Plaza Centro, which slots into the chart at number two, behind Moët & Chandon. Tesco says Prosecco sales are up 50% year-on-year, with five of the top six sparkling wines by value and volume being Prosecco. It has sold over 12 million bottles in the past year, with bestseller Plaza Prosecco selling over 4.5 million bottles.

With the major supermarkets struggling to maintain share alongside stellar growth from their discounter competitors, many have ramped up the volume of own-brand fizz on promotion - going from 65% to 75%.

Earlier this month Tesco told Harpers.co.uk that one in three bottles of sparkling wine sold over the festive season would be Prosecco. Waitrose said the first nine days of December 2014, versus the same period last year, have seen Champagne up 16%, with own label driving the charge, up 40% year-on-year. Its overall sparkling sales are up 46%, with Prosecco up 58% and English fizz up 89%. Online the picture is even brighter, with Champagne sales on waitrosecellar.com up 110% year-on-year and up 120% on other sparkling wines.

The Grocer's report shows Champagne is also performing well, although the main houses are promoting less than last year.

Still wines have suffered - total volumes are down 3.4% to £5,445.2 million with own label accounting for £1,202.7 million of that - up 7.5%.

Pernod Ricard's Jacob's Creek has been hit particularly hard, losing £12.4 million in value and volumes suffering even more as it struggles to strengthen average prices.

On the still wine front the top three brands were: