Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

UK hospitality takes a £30bn tumble

Published: 28 July, 2020

The closure of the hospitality industry between April to June left a £30bn hole in the British economy, it has emerged.

Hospitality needs customers if it's to stop going hungry

Published: 28 July, 2020

The hospitality sector is beginning to reopen, but it needs many more customers if its future is to be secured. By Andrew Catchpole

On-trade trading at near 70% of pre-Covid norms

Published: 24 July, 2020

Managed pub, bar and restaurant groups in England have reported improving sales in the second week after shut-down was lifted, boosted by the reopening of more sites, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker data.

Emphasis on reservations fuels wave of ‘no shows’

Published: 20 July, 2020

The Covid-led fresh emphasis on reservations is hitting the beleaguered on-trade with a wave a ‘no shows’ recorded since the reopening of the industry.

Prosecco in the pink with parallel rosé trends

Published: 17 July, 2020

A sizeable uplift in rosé wine sales is forecasting a rosey outlook for ‘Pink Prosecco’ which is due to land on British shelves and in ice buckets as of January 2021.

On-trade reports 40% drop in weekly sales

Published: 17 July, 2020

Sales across on-trade sites open in England in the first week after lockdown was lifted were down 39.8% compared to the same week last year, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker data released today.

Alcohol sales outperform soft drinks on first weekend back

Published: 13 July, 2020

Sales of alcohol in managed pubs and bars outstripped non-alcoholic drinks on the 4 July weekend, it has been revealed, with beer becoming the celebratory lockdown-breaker of choice among punters.

Takings down 45% for 4 July weekend as managed outlets feel the squeeze

Published: 10 July, 2020

New figures have put a sobering picture on ‘Super Saturday’ and Sunday, with takings for group-operated pub, bar and restaurant outlets down 44.5% compared to the closest 4 July weekend last year.

Bollinger adds first cuvée in over a decade with Bollinger PN

Published: 06 July, 2020

Champagne Bollinger has added its first permanent cuvée in 12 years with the launch of Bollinger PN, the first of an intended series focusing on the house’s flagship grape.

Additional 145 million pints to be sold due to reduced ‘distancing’

Published: 24 June, 2020

CGA has calculated that 145 million additional pints of beer will be sold through the on-trade as a result of the new 1 metre distancing rule, compared with what would have been sold with 2 metres.

Hospitality responsible for a quarter of Britain’s GDP drop

Published: 15 June, 2020

Britain’s hospitality sector was responsible for nearly a quarter of the GDP losses felt by UK business in April, according to the latest UK Hospitality tracker.

Chile rising high

Published: 03 June, 2020

Consumers have come to expect value from Chilean wine, says James Lawrence, so how can they be encouraged to trade up?

On-trade operators should plan ‘relaunch', not ‘reopening’, ahead of 4 July

Published: 21 May, 2020

On-trade operators should “step away from emotion”, challenging themselves to think back to when they started their businesses and consider it a relaunch, not a reopening, when they once again open their doors.

A third of on-trade senior executives anticipate permanent closure

Published: 06 May, 2020

A third (32%) of senior executives anticipate the need to permanently close pub, bar and restaurant sites post-Covid-19, according to the latest CGA Business Confidence Survey.

UK consumers are drinking less despite surging sales, new survey shows

Published: 04 May, 2020

Consumers are shunning alcoholic drinks during the Covid-19 crisis, the latest BrandTrack survey from CGA has found.

Securing a rent break key concern for hospitality

Published: 01 May, 2020

Securing a time out on rent has come out as a key priority for Britain’s pubs, bars and restaurants as cashflow concerns top their agendas.

Friday Read: Covid-19 set to devastate Champagne's recovery?

Published: 17 April, 2020

Like a staunch liberal and a UKIP voter forced by coronavirus to cohabit under one roof, Champagne has enjoyed a troubled – and complex - relationship with the UK of late. Both Nielsen and CGA Strategy have tracked falling demand for Champagne over the past few years in the UK; in the 12 months to December 2019, the total volume and value of Champagne sales fell by 5.8% and 4.9% respectively in the on-trade. Meanwhile, Nielsen figures indicate that Champagne sales in the Christmas period 2019 fell well short of expectations. It's hard to rally against statistical evidence - the figures do not lie.

Delivering a new approach

Published: 17 April, 2020

As lockdown happened, Lisa Riley looked at how the on-trade adapted to create opportunities in an alien situation.

Polarisation in the drinks market

Published: 02 April, 2020

A new report revealed both mainstream and super-premium categories were growing pre-pandemic, while highlighting the opportunities for retailers. Lisa Riley looks at some of the trends that may re-emerge down the line.

On-trade sales drop 15% in week before ‘warning’

Published: 20 March, 2020

On-trade sales declined 15% in the week up to 15 March, before the Prime Minister’s warning that the public should avoid going to pubs, clubs and social venues because of the growing coronavirus (Covid-19) threat.