Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Independents: Open to trade

Published: 03 April, 2020

With merchants fast adapting to survive, Andrew Catchpole surveyed the indie scene to discover how companies are adapting.

Restructured Armit comes out fighting

Published: 31 March, 2020

Significant restructuring at Armit Wines following new MD Brett Fleming’s appointment has seen improved performance, stemming a decline in the second half of FY2019 with far reaching change to its business strategy.

Harpers 50 Best Indies 2020 – now open for nominations

Published: 25 March, 2020

We are once again launching our annual 50 Best Indies Awards, to recognise the best in the business of indie drinks retailing.

Coronaviris: Harpers to assist business with exchange of ideas, advice and information

Published: 16 March, 2020

In response to the advancing coronavirus crisis, the Harpers team is asking off and on-trade business, large and small, to share strategies and initiatives designed to help drive commercial activity and sales through a period of unprecedented disruption and uncertainty.

Shipping direct: One foot in the vineyard

Published: 03 February, 2020

There are pros and cons to buying direct, but there are certainly reasons indies should consider the option, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

Indie gateway: the wholesaling survey

Published: 02 January, 2020

Independent merchants play an increasingly important role in local and regional wholesale, as our exclusive survey results reveal (link below).

Indies’ focus on esoteric Italy leaves supermarkets in the shade

Published: 12 December, 2019

Italy in the off-trade seems to be a game of two halves at the moment with supermarkets sticking to classics and bankers while independent merchants push the envelope with more esoteric wines and attempt to shape consumer habits.

Selling Italy in the off-trade

Published: 09 December, 2019

Justin Keay digs deep into Italy in the off-trade, taking his microscope to the supermarkets’ Italian ranges and discovering what indie customers are demanding from their local merchants.

Independents: Collaborate to innovate

Published: 05 December, 2019

Teaming up to bring in ad hoc shipments is ushering in a new wave of collaboration between like-minded independents. Chris Wilson weighs the practicalities and benefits

Harpers 50 Best Indies to be announced

Published: 22 August, 2019

The countdown is on to the big reveal of the UK’s 50 Best Indies awards on 9th September.

Harpers on Tour: Indies Down Under

Published: 13 March, 2019

There is a point on every trip, once travel fatigue has passed and the daily rhythm of tasting, talking and tucker becomes the norm, when a borrowed moment of freedom over a bottle of wine captures the spirit of the tour. During a recent indie merchant buyers trip to Australia this came in the refreshingly left-field shape of a magnum of Brash Higgins Zibibbo, providing a rather early sundowner in the leafy garden of the McLaren Vale Motel, as the group relaxed ahead of a big tasting and dinner.

Brexit delivering negative impact on business for three quarters of independent trade

Published: 30 August, 2018

A Harpers survey on the current effects and possible outcomes of Brexit has revealed that 73% of on and off-trade businesses believe the vote has already had a negative impact on their business.

The indies tapping into craft beer

Published: 29 May, 2018

Talk into an indie merchant in 2018 and while you may be faced with wall upon wall of wine from here, there and everywhere, you’re just as likely to encounter a kaleidoscopic display of beers and ciders in bottles, cans, growlers and kegs.

Keeping the list keen

Published: 23 February, 2018

We asked leading indie merchants how they approach buying and what they will be hunting out for 2018. Philip Amps, Greg Sherwood MW and Henry Butler explain the method (and occassional madness) in planning for the year ahead:

Vindependents poised to add spirits and beers to its portfolio

Published: 02 June, 2017

Vindependents, the drinks agency for independents run by independents, is going from strength to strength but the buying group is far from resting on its laurels.

CIVB invites trade to Dine with Bordeaux

Published: 17 March, 2017

The Bordeaux Wine Board (CIVB) is re-launching two promotional campaigns aimed at promoting the 'versatility' of Bordeaux.

Shop Rioja

Published: 02 March, 2017

he month of October is quickly becoming synonymous with Shop Rioja - Wines from Rioja's month-long promotion which brings the full diversity and dynamism of Spain's foremost wine region to the UK's independent retailers.

Sign up for SITT - the event for indie merchants and specialist importers

Published: 23 February, 2017

The countdown is on to register for the Specialist Importers Trade Tasting (SITT) - launching for the first time as part of Harpers' own events umbrella next week.

Oxford Wine Company to open new premises in its hometown

Published: 22 February, 2017

The Oxford Wine Company is poised to open a retail shop in the centre of Oxford as part of a new strategy to focus on its home area.

Marginal returns: How to manage those post-Brexit increases

Published: 17 February, 2017

According to some leading UK independent wine merchants, the cost of wine to their businesses has increased by anything from 10% to 16% since June's European referendum vote, depending on supplier.