Red Squirrel Wines behind new trade initiative to promote Bulgarian wines

Independent wine merchant, Red Squirrel Wines, is behind a new initiative to put the spotlight on wines from Bulgaria with four days of events in March including a trade tasting at the Bulgarian Embassy on March 18.

Cambridge Wine's Hal Wilson urges independents to lobby their MP for duty cut

Following yesterday's call by Harpers to independent wine merchants to play their part in the industry wide campaign to convince the Chancellor to issue a duty cut on wine and spirits in his March Budget, leading independent Hal Wilson of Cambridge Wine Merchants today explains why he has personally lobbied his local MP, the Liberal Democrat Julian Huppert, and urges other merchants to do the same.

Action Week 2: Call to indies to lobby local MP and media for a Drop in Duty

Harpers is today calling on independent wine merchants across the UK to lobby both their MP and local media to back the Drop the Duty campaign and help raise the profile of their business on this key business issue.

Profile: Bottle Apostle

Bottle Apostle is one of the new breed of independent wine merchants hitting well-heeled high streets across the country. Both cool and quirky, it has its sights set on young and affluent customers, as Helen Arnold discovers

10 Top Tips for suppliers on how to work better with independent wine merchants

Tim Carlisle, consultant and formerly of wine merchant businesses, Slurp and SH Jones, offers 10 Tips to suppliers on how they could work more effectively with independent wine merchants as part of Harpers' ongoing March for the Independents campaign.

Independent merchants: the ones to watch

As part of our March for the Independents campaign, here we highlight some of the independent merchants across the country worth keeping an eye on. Gemma McKenna reports

12 ways indies can work better with suppliers says Les Grands Chais de France

A growing list of major wine suppliers and producers are now seriously looking to work closer and more effectively with independent wine merchants. Here Tim North, UK director for Les Grands Chais de France, one of the largest French wine producers with estates in all the main wine growing regions, offers his advice to merchants on how to buy and then market and sell their wines. Les Grands Chais de France is one of the partner suppliers behind the March for the Independents campaign.

10 tips for merchants to improve buying and selling skills for March for the Independents

As part of Harpers ongoing March for the Independents campaign Angela Mount, former head wine buyer for Somerfield and now retail and management consultant for the wine trade, offers her Top 10 tips on how she thinks independent wine merchants can improve their buying and selling skills.

Opportunities ripe for consolidation in independent wine sector, predicts Broderson

The time is right for many independent operators across the wine and spirits sector to seriously consider consolidation in order to strengthen businesses, says drinks mergers and acquisition specialists Broderson & Co.

Merchants urged to get suppliers to sign Best Practice Guidelines for March for Independents

Today Harpers is calling on independent wine merchants across the country to help get their suppliers fully behind the sector by signing up to Harpers' Best Practice Guidelines,  set up to try and ensure relations between independents and suppliers are as effective as possible.

Action Week 1 - Getting the most out of your suppliers

Harpers March for the Independents campaign kicks off with retailer survey

Today marks the official start of Harpers March for the Independents campaign which over the next month will put the spotlight firmly on the needs and trading issues facing independent wine merchants.

Merchants get chance to get on top of their business at March for Independents conference

WSET honours top performing Diploma students at London ceremony

The brightest and most successful students who have taken part in the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma programme were honoured at a special ceremony this week at London's Guildhall.

Cardiff's The Bottle Shop eyes expansion

Cardiff-based independent wine retailer David Williams of The Bottle Shop is planning to open up to four stores in the city over the next four years.

Northern Ireland's James Nicholson Wine on acquisition trail

Northern Ireland's James Nicholson Wine is on the lookout for a mainland UK acquisition.

So what does wine trade band Skin Côntact's Anne McHale know about music?

We've heard from some of the band members from the wine industry's very own rock band, Skin Côntact, that has come together for Comic Relief, but now let's get to know the singers - and backing singer Anne McHale MW of Berry Bros & Rudd to be exact.

Harpers Awards 2015 promises to roll out red carpet for best in UK wine and spirits

Awards season is well and truly amongst us with seemingly not a day going by without a red carpet being rolled out for the great, good and glamorous. Harpers is giving you the chance to shine in your own industry with this year's entry process for the Harpers Awards well and truly under way.

Bag-in-box only wine retailer to ramp up international expansion

High end bag-in-box wine retailer BiBoViNo, which currently operates 10 stores, is planning to open up to 100 stores internationally.

UK wine trade to unite to pay respects to Château Musar's Serge Hochar

A memorial service is to be held to remember the life and influence of legendary Lebanese winemaker, Serge Hochar, of Château Musar, who died whilst on a family holiday in Mexico over the new year.