Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Hillebrand acquires US warehouse and transportation business

Published: 19 December, 2019

Hillebrand has acquired US warehouse and transportation business Royal Logistics and Royal Service Transport (Royal) for an undisclosed sum.

The winners: Harpers Design Awards 2019

Published: 13 December, 2019

The big reveal from this year’s Harpers Design Awards is that for the first time ever wine edged ahead of spirits, both in terms of the overall winners and collectively across the competition.

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

Government hit by fall in wine-duty revenues

Published: 02 December, 2019

Wine duty receipts fell back 2.1% in the first six months of the financial year, according to data released by the government.

Majestic partners with Curious to launch beer aimed at Sauvignon Blanc drinkers

Published: 08 November, 2019

Majestic has partnered with Chapel Down's beer and cider arm Curious to launch a beer aimed squarely at Sauvignon Blanc drinkers.

‘Bring your own’ bottle concept projected to become the UK norm

Published: 07 November, 2019

The concept of buying wine and beer in refillable bottles (BYO) could soon become the norm in the UK, according to Waitrose

Millennials vital to health of the wine sector over next five years, says new research

Published: 15 October, 2019

A new definitive report into the drinking behaviours of millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) has put to bed concerns that younger drinkers are completely abandoning wine in favour of craft beers or spirits – or even eschewing alcohol completely.

UK drinks tax discriminates against women, finds research

Published: 20 September, 2019

The unequal distribution of duty on wine and beer is biased against women, according to research conducted on behalf of campaign group Wine Drinkers UK.

Solid BWS and pre-mixed performance boost grocery sales

Published: 17 September, 2019

Sales at UK supermarkets were up 2.2% in the last four weeks compared to the same period last year boosted not only by the August Bank Holiday heatwave but also by a solid BWS and pre-mixed alcoholic drinks performance, according to Nielsen.

Saying yes to no and low

Published: 30 August, 2019

Looking back to December, there was one major trend analysts were backing to have the most influence on the mix of sales and consumer behaviour in 2019.

The return of the wets

Published: 19 August, 2019

Investor interest is returning to the high street, particularly when it comes to wet-led venues, where optimism is on the rise.

Wine revealed as Britain’s favourite alcoholic drink

Published: 12 August, 2019

Wine has beaten beer and spirits to become the favoured tipple of UK drinkers, according to a new survey of 2,000 consumers from Yougov.

Looking ahead: Simon Cairns, BWS category trading manager, Co-op

Published: 07 August, 2019

As the first half of 2019 draws to a close, Harpers asked key trade figures to highlight the current challenges, ongoing trends and opportunities

In store rationalisation means consumers are seeking out diversity online

Published: 06 June, 2019

Wine is the most frequently purchased alcoholic beverage online, it has been revealed, as consumers increasingly turn to the web to seek out the product diversity that’s been lost from the high street.

Online BWS sales grow ahead of market

Published: 24 April, 2019

The beer, wine and spirits (BWS) category recorded 9.6% growth in online sales last month compared to March 2018.

The Bottle Shop goes under

Published: 26 March, 2019

The Bottle Shop has called in the administrators and shut the business with immediate effect following a tough few months.

Food and drink exports growth slows to crawl but gin and whisky fly the flag

Published: 25 March, 2019

Overall UK food and drinks exports slowed to a crawl in 2018, but gin and whisky continued to fly the flag – each growing in both value and volume.

Enotria opens up craft beer following major deals with Compass and Bidfood

Published: 07 February, 2019

Craft beer was one of the star attractions at Enotria’s latest annual portfolio tasting, as the pressure to diversify becomes stronger and stronger at the top level of distribution.

Eden Mill snaps up Eden River to expand production

Published: 04 February, 2019

Eden Mill, Scotland’s first single site brewery and distillery, has targeted further expansion after acquiring Eden River Brewery in Penrith, Cumbria, for an undisclosed amount.

Teetotal for a year: why waking up to low and no is the trade's biggest challenge

Published: 30 January, 2019

The driest month of the year is almost over. But as the trend for drinking less but better – or not at all – continues into 2019, many consumers will be planning to moderate well into February and beyond. Changing drinking habits is something we can no longer ignore, says Hugh Jones, former prestige sale manager at Mentzendorff and now head of sales at Lucky Saint, which produces a 0.5% beer. Reporting for Harpers, Jones explains why he has vowed to go teetotal for a year with the aim of exploring what trade needs to do to stay relevant – while also making the most of the opportunities in the ever-evolving drinks industry.