With the autumn tasting season soon upon us, as the trade prepares for the run up to the all-important Christmas trading period, Harpers is running a web series asking leading voices in the trade what trends and challenges they’re expecting to face in the latter half of 2017.
Pernod Ricard kicked off its Christmas briefing strategy this morning with a reminder of why Christmas is the most important period in the trade’s calendar.
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Aldi is trialling a new 'craft' wine range in 50cl stubbies in effort to attract more millennials over the Christmas trading period into the wine category.
Read more...It has been a long and emotional 2014. Can you recall the rollercoaster ride of drinks trade happenings?
Read more...Once the preserve of the stockbroker set, recent years have seen gin reach a much younger and more fashionable audience. Helen Arnold assesses whether gin can stay on its upward journey
Read more...When it comes to celebrating in the Champagne category it pays to have a story, to be different and to stand out from the competition.
Read more...We believe Old World wines will continue to perform well this Christmas as people look to spend a little bit more and trade up to premium examples of known varieties. Alpha Zeta's Single Vineyard Pinot Grigio 'Terrapieno' from the Veneto is a good example of this.
Read more...The whisky companies have been unveiling their big-hitting Christmas whiskies at a flurry of consumer shows in recent weeks, writes Dominic Roskrow, and it's clear that they're keen to cash in on the sector's current popularity by extending its appeal to new drinkers and attempting to be all things to all people.
Read more...Like the other spirit categories, the growth in rum is mainly driven by the premium sector. Spiced rum that is the latest big thing, with sales growing by more than 21% year on year, making it worth an annual £80m. It appears to be particularly popular in Scotland, where it accounts for over 21% of value sales, and at the younger end of the market, while well-aged rums are finding favour with a more discerning, 30-plus audience. Helen Arnold reports.
Read more...Vodka commands the lion's share of the spirits sector, with over 30% of total sales; not only is it the most widely drunk spirit in the UK, but it is outstripping the overall spirits sector, with annual growth of 4.4%. Helen Arnold reports.
Read more...It's that time again. With more than a third of wine sales coming through in the 12 weeks of Christmas, the trade is nervously checking the weather forecast and gauging the mood among consumers as shoppers prepare to fill their stockings, writes Gemma McKenna.
Read more...Premium spirits are a crucial selling feature of the festive season. Helen Arnold explains why:
Read more...The festive season is still the key trading period for sparkling wines. What do producers, brand owners, multiples and merchants expect from sparkling wines this year?
Read more...A celebration is nothing without a bottle of bubbly and Christmas is no exception. In the UK Prosecco and Cava remain strong, as consumers favour other sparklers over costly Champagne.
Read more...Pernod Ricard is planning to plug the "multi-million pound wine and spirits Christmas sales gap" it has identified with one-off releases and gifting sets.
Read more...The British hospitality industry will create 6,000 new jobs for 16 to 24 year olds by the end of the year, says the industry's trade association.
Read more...Tesco is cutting prices on a range of top wines as it starts clearing warehouse stock ahead of the Christmas rush.
Read more...Pernod Ricard UK is aiming to cash in on millions of pounds of lost sales in premium wines and spirits in the impulse sector this Christmas by helping retailers encourage customers to trade up.
Read more...In the second of our major reports on key trends for the Christmas drinks market, we look for festive cheer in the spirits and Champagne categories.
Read more...Views from: Gillian Gibson, global brand manager, Balblair; Roy Summers, head of category management, First Drinks; Simon van Moppes, commercial director, Pernod Ricard
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