New Zealand was the leading country of origin in the still white wine category for the four weeks leading up to 28 December 2024. Compared to the same period in 2023, value growth was up 7.3% while volume growth was up 9.7%.
Read more...
Household spending at the multiples hit a record high in Christmas 2024 as December became the busiest month for footfall since the pre-lockdown rush in March 2020, according Kantar. Overall take-home sales at the grocers rose by 2.1% over the four weeks to 29 December compared with last year.
Read more...
Harpers would like to hear from you regarding the Christmas period, your optimism (or lack thereof) for the year ahead, plus what you foresee to be the biggest challenges in 2024.
Read more...
As MD of a spirits distribution company, you might imagine that my home bar is huge. And guess what – you’d be absolutely right. As someone who genuinely loves a good, stiff drink, learning about new producers and brands is one of the biggest perks of the job. And as a result of that perk, I’m now the proud owner of the best stocked bar in Woodford Green. So, in case it’s of any interest at all to the booze enthusiasts among you, here’s exactly what I’ve got stocked on my own bar at home.
Read more...
The year 2022 certainly had its challenges, with businesses struggling to make ends meet amid a soaring cost-of-living – and trading – crisis. However, one business is celebrating a bumper festive period, with last month offering up the best December in the company’s 30-year history.
Read more...
It’s that time of year for Harpers to wish all in the drinks trade a very merry Christmas as we speed towards the final days of another eventful year.
Read more...
It’s always fascinating being taken out of one’s own world of intense focus – wine – and into another somewhat parallel, but also contrasting field of expertise. So when Cocoa Runners approached Team Harpers suggesting a wine and chocolate pairing session – also just ahead of Christmas – we jumped at the chance.
Read more...
The staffing crisis is very much still underway heading into Christmas, data from CGA has revealed, with one in nine jobs in hospitality still vacant despite improvements in recruitment.
Read more...
Pernod Ricard is banking on the return of a pre-pandemic Christmas atmosphere this year, with its festive campaigns revealing a heavy focus on leveraging treating behaviours amid a tense economy, bouyed by the world cup.
Read more...
James Lawrence finds the festive season was a mixed bag, with reduced sales in many areas but some sectors exceeding expectations.
Read more...
On-trade drinks sales fell by a quarter in the run-up to Christmas as wary consumers avoided pubs, bars and restaurants ahead of socialising on the big day, as Andrew Catchpole reports.
Already battered on-trade businesses suffered further in what should have been their busiest time of year. Clinton Cawood reports.
Read more...
Consumer footfall across the UK’s hospitality sector increased between Christmas and New Year, according to the latest CGA Drinks Recovery Tracker.
Read more...
The sparkling wine category was the clear winner of the Christmas retail bonanza, with both merchants and analysts reporting bumper sales.
Read more...
Overall retail sales of beers, wines and spirits fell in the month of December, when benchmarked against Christmas 2020, though spending remained higher than it was pre-pandemic.
Read more...
New figures from UKHospitality show that pubs, bars and restaurants lost £10,335 on average in the week leading up to Christmas, due to fears over the new Covid-19 variant.
Read more...
With Christmas almost upon us and 2022 chasing up behind, the Harpers team would like to wish all in the drinks trade a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Read more...
Matt Tipping reflects on keeping the wheels turning through 2021 and how valuable new custom should bring cheer into the new year, despite the looming additional tax burden on wine.
With supply and delivery issues forcing indies to be nimble and imaginative for the Christmas rush, Andrew Catchpole asked a trio of merchants how they prepared for the festive sales spike in such an unpredictable year.
Read more...
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a further round of grants of up to £6,000 per hospitality premise, also committing to a top up of discretionary grant funding, as part of a £1 billion package to support the sector.
Read more...
