Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Sainsbury's posts first loss in ten years

Published: 06 May, 2015

Sainsbury's has posted the first loss in more than ten years, but analysts agree the annual results are better than expectations.

Sainsbury's set to cut 800 jobs in shake-up

Published: 23 April, 2015

Sainsbury's has become the latest retailer to announce job cuts in a radical shake-up of its stores.

Sainsbury's sees like-for-like sales down 1.9% in latest quarter

Published: 17 March, 2015

Sainsbury saw like-for-like retail sales fall 1.9% in the ten weeks to 14 March 2015, as it warned that food deflation is here to stay.

Supermarkets lose £400m in sales as price deflation gives further savings to consumers

Published: 10 March, 2015

Supermarkets are missing out on £400 million in sales as price deflation continues to pick up pace offering further savings to consumers, according to latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel.

Tesco and rest of the supermarket industry returning to growth, says Kantar

Published: 10 February, 2015

After 13 reported months of decline Tesco has posted 0.3% growth and the supermarket industry as a whole appears to be improving with growth accelerating to 1.1%.

Waitrose bucks grocery trend for store closures with 14 new openings for 2015

Published: 14 January, 2015

Waitrose is bucking the trend of store closures and job losses in the grocery sector by opening 14 new outlets in 2015, with more in the pipeline for 2016.

Big four grocers face 'unprecedented' competition, says Kantar

Published: 13 January, 2015

Christmas sales figures are neck-in-neck across the grocery market, according to Kantar's latest data, which shows the retailers are the closest they have ever been since the market research firm began keeping records 20 years ago.

Festive figures: Grocers celebrate small victories despite minimal growth

Published: 13 January, 2015

Despite "modest growth" of 0.6% across the grocery market during the festive period, Kantar Worldpanel says this gives cause to celebrate - representing the biggest boost across the sector since August 2014.

Up to 95% of suppliers demand retailers change the way they work with them

Published: 09 January, 2015

Up to 95% of the 200 suppliers who took part in our survey into the behaviour of major UK retailers want them to change. Here Gemma McKenna reveals what suppliers really think of the big multiples

Tesco is worst retailer to work with say wine and spirits suppliers in Harpers poll

Published: 09 January, 2015

Tesco has been named and shamed as the worst retailer to work with in a survey of over 200 wine and spirits suppliers carried out by Harpers.co.uk.

Major wine retailers boast mixed fortunes over Christmas

Published: 07 January, 2015

Majestic Wine saw sales creep up 1.1% over a "difficult Christmas" while Waitrose celebrated a bumper 15.4% increase in BWS sales over the same period last year.

Price wars saved UK shoppers £182m in last three months, says Kantar

Published: 17 December, 2014

While the grocery market has returned to very slight growth, real grocery deflation, which has seen prices fall by 0.7% versus last year, equates to savings of £182 million for consumers in the last three months, according to Kantar.

The Week That Was: top news, Q&As and opinion on Harpers.co.uk

Published: 14 November, 2014

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have done a review of the top online news, financial news for the drinks trade, Q&As, and opinion stories.

Sainsbury's profits drop due to 'once-in-a-generation' shifts in retail sector

Published: 12 November, 2014

Sainsbury's half-yearly results show the company's underlying profits dropped 6.3% to £375 million, the worst performance in over a decade for the company.

Lidl best value supermarket for wine, says new app

Published: 10 November, 2014

Lidl is the UK's best supermarket for wine when it comes to value - according to an 18-month study tasting over 4,000 wines carried out by the Wotwine app.

Retail expert says Big Four should 'cosy up' to discounters

Published: 27 October, 2014

A leading retail expert has said Britain's Big Four need to ditch larger stores and "cosy up" to discounters by locating convenience outlets next door.

Can supermarkets handle Britain's changing shopping habits?

Published: 27 October, 2014

Professor Heiner Evanschitzky of Aston Business School asks whether the supermarkets handle Britain's changing shopping habits.

Broadland releases chocolate-flavoured British red wine

Published: 10 October, 2014

Broadland wineries is releasing a chocolate-flavoured British red wine to be known as Chocolate Drop, which has already secured a Sainsbury's listing.

Smaller format bag-in-box wines lead revival in category

Published: 09 October, 2014

Bag-in-box is due a revival, with smaller formats leading the way, according to figures from Nielsen which show the 2.25 litre box has grown 8.7% by volume in the past year.

Harpers Special Report: multiple and supplier relations uncovered

Published: 08 October, 2014

Tesco has taken a bit of a battering in recent months, with profits slipping and then the little matter of the £250 million profit overstatement. But although Tesco is in the spotlight, there are issues for all of the major retailers right now, as the discounters go from strength to strength and the Big Four's choke hold on the market weakens. Harpers.co.uk spoke to some of the wine trade's key suppliers and ex-buyers to find out their views.