Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

No-shows cost sector £17.6bn

Published: 01 September, 2021

Customers not turning up for their bookings are costing the hospitality sector £17.6bn each year, according to a new CGA and Zonal report.

Optimism among hospitality professionals dips

Published: 31 August, 2021

Optimism among hospitality professionals has dipped amid staffing challenges and safety concerns, according to a new survey by CGA and CPL Learning.

Long read: When it comes to no and low, one size does not fit all

Published: 19 August, 2021

Richard Horwell, owner of London-based food and drink marketing and branding company, Brand Relations, talks though the nuances between no and low beers, wines and spirits, and sets out the future for each.

Restaurants and bars emerge as the big winners of Freedom Day

Published: 17 August, 2021

Britain’s managed pub, restaurant and bar groups lifted sales back close to pre-Covid-19 levels in July, new data has revealed, with restaurants and bars benefitting the most from the easing of restrictions.

Scottish trade hails reopening but raises concerns for the future

Published: 04 August, 2021

The hospitality sector has welcomed news that Scotland will be easing Covid-19 restrictions from next week but has called for more clarity on the details.

Freedom Day sees long-awaited return of late-night economy

Published: 19 July, 2021

The UK is celebrating the final end of the restrictions on hospitality today (July 19), with just under 12,000 venues finally able to open their doors after being shuttered since the first quarter of 2020.

Ageism in hospitality

Published: 12 July, 2021

Staff shortages in the hospitality industry have reached alarming levels, but will employers relax their natural tendency to favour younger workers and take on older people instead?

Branded hospitality closures stabilise following steep decline

Published: 05 July, 2021

Newly released data has revealed a slowdown in outlet closures for some of the sector’s biggest companies, with the numbers levelling off versus the “steep declines” of 2018 and 2019.

Full on-trade reopening widely tipped for 19 July

Published: 05 July, 2021

QR codes and test and trace, compulsory mask-wearing and the one metre rule are all likely to go in England on 19 July, allowing pubs, bars and restaurants to operate at full capacity and their customers to mingle freely.

Pubs and restaurants to bounce back “with a vengeance” in 2022-2024

Published: 29 June, 2021

A total of £3.1bn growth is expected for the UK eating and drinking out market from 2022-24, new data has forecasted, with pubs and restaurants set to claim a £1.3bn share.

Scottish Wholesale Association’s Achievers Awards open for entries

Published: 29 June, 2021

Entries are now open for the Achievers Awards 2022, the industry programme that rewards outstanding performance across the wholesale trade in Scotland.

Report finds racism in hospitality, but appetite for change

Published: 03 June, 2021

More than half of black, Asian and ethnic minority hospitality professionals have experienced or witnessed racism at work, according to a new Inside Hospitality Report from Be Inclusive Hospitality.

Only two in five hospitality business leaders say they’re trading at profit, though confidence is on the rise

Published: 24 May, 2021

Only two in five hospitality businesses are now either trading or are expected to trade at a profit by the end of June, a new survey from CGA and Fourth has revealed.

Last call for 50 Best Indies 2021 nominations

Published: 13 May, 2021

The chance to nominate your choices for the best in the business of indie drinks retailing remains open until midnight on Friday 14 May.

Indies: Shaken, not stirred

Published: 26 April, 2021

The pandemic has been a “wake-up call” for the industry, a panel of leading merchants told audience members told Jo Gilbert at our Think Insights retailing sector briefing, as businesses face stock and other challenges to meet soaring spirits sales.

Bringing it All Together at SME business advice summit

Published: 22 April, 2021

Many SMEs have had it particularly tough during the pandemic, with small and medium-sized businesses less likely than their larger rivals to have access to the resources to help guide them through.

Drinks Wholesaler Spotlight 2021 – our business survey

Published: 19 April, 2021

Given the immense disruption of the past year, we’re morphing our annual Top Wholesaler list into a 2021 showcase for the innovation, adaptation and support seen from companies across this all important sector.

One in four venues reopen for first week of outdoor service

Published: 19 April, 2021

Just under a quarter of England’s licensed premises have opened for trade in hospitality’s first week back for outdoor-only service, with pubs in particular capitalising on wider access to beer gardens, patios and other outdoor areas.

Year of shuttered restaurants and bars has left hospitality ‘shattered’

Published: 22 March, 2021

In the year since the first hospitality shutdown, the sector has taken a battering with more than eight months of closure delivering a heavy blow.

Register now: Think Insights 2021 – Spirits

Published: 22 March, 2021

There is still time to register for Harpers Think Insights 2021 – Spirits event, which takes place across the day on Wednesday 24 March, featuring many leading voices from the spirits, hospitality and indie worlds.