Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Harpers teams up with Loire Valley for indies promotion

Published: 25 June, 2020

Loire Valley Wines is once again to run its popular Independent Wine Merchant promotion this Autumn.

Bordeaux Wine Month opens up annual promo to on-trade

Published: 17 June, 2020

Bordeaux Wine Month will be back for its third annual outing this autumn, once again inviting the trade to have a shot at promoting the best from France’s flagship region.

A Taste of New York: Indie opportunities from the Empire State

Published: 26 May, 2020

With small production and a cool climate, New York State’s leading wine producers are looking to punch above their collective weight on the world stage, with the UK singled out as the ‘shop window’ to showcase its wares.

Online uplands: scaling the new heights

Published: 22 May, 2020

Moving to online sales has saved more than one drinks retailer in recent weeks and all the signs point to the model continuing, finds Andrew Catchpole.

Living with Lockdown – Daniel Lambert Wines

Published: 14 May, 2020

Agent-importer Daniel Lambert talks to Andrew Catchpole about bypassing critics and trade with live access to winemakers, the dangers of having all eggs in one basket and why its boom time for indies.

Generics respond to the pandemic: Wines of Argentina

Published: 23 April, 2020

In the fourth of our series on how the generic bodies are responding to the pandemic, Andrew Catchpole talks to Phil Crozier, brand ambassador UK & Europe, Wines of Argentina

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: