Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Bulk selling in a digital world

Published: 19 February, 2019

The launch of a new trading platform for the drinks trade promises to disrupt existing business models. Jo Gilbert investigates

New wine app promises to revolutionise the wine industry

Published: 05 December, 2018

My Wine Society has launched a new app it has dubbed “Facebook for wine”.

Gaucho sacrifices “struggling” sister chain in final bid to find a buyer

Published: 20 July, 2018

Gaucho has announced it is closing all of its Cau sites in order to focus on stabilising the Argentinian wine and steak restaurant.

Global Drinks Forum: a taste of future on-trade trends

Published: 13 November, 2017

Immersive experiences, category blur and premium drinks were hot topics at the recent Global Drinks Forum in Berlin, where the trends shaping the on-trade were put under the spotlight.

CIVB goes social with new winter ad campaign

Published: 06 November, 2017

Vins de Bordeaux is releasing a new ad campaign focused on digital formats and social media with the hope of engagining "younger" audiences.

The rise of the virtual sommelier

Published: 19 September, 2017

Last month we talked about virtual reality. This month we look at augmented reality and artificial intelligence and how the big tech companies are poised to bring the sommelier into the home. Jo Gilbert reports

Digital packaging: how smart is your bottle?

Published: 15 August, 2017

The impact of digitisation is so powerful that most marketers and brand designers are only just grasping the need for a more holistic approach, writes James Harmer of Touch design and innovation agency

Getting ahead in the digital shelf war

Published: 08 June, 2017

With the mind-bogglingly fast growth of online channels, which in the context of many thousands of years of bartering and selling, is still a very new phenomenon, we scope out the e-specialists claiming to help your products fly online.

Vivino adds 'Netflix of wine' feature to its app and website

Published: 22 March, 2017

Leading wine app Vivino has today launched a wine recommendation engine aimed at helping wine retailers and merchants increase their digital customer reach and sell more wine.

Tim Atkin MW: Can artificial intelligence replace human judgment in the world of wine?

Published: 08 February, 2017

What do you think of the following tasting note? "Inconspicuous boysenberries and cigar wrappers revel in unresolved rosehips, while dried wormwood and chemically tanned leather swim amongst illusive black liquorice." And this? "Like a sherry, wet wool, mead, musk and nail polish remover cocktail."

Q&A: Courtney Quattrini, Vivino

Published: 06 February, 2017

As scan-and-share wine app Vivino tops 21 million users globally and begins to evolve its sales and data potential, we asked its communications guru for a download on what to expect next.

Friarwood puts fine wine online

Published: 08 November, 2016

Independent fine wine merchant Friarwood has launched its first e-commerce service, opening up its collection of fine wines to same day and next delivery.

Millennials driving tech innovation as Vivino launches online wine store

Published: 13 October, 2016

Leading wine app Vivino has become the next wine company to launch its own online store, allowing customers to purchase wine for the first time through its app and via the website.

WSTA Part 2: How technology and innovation may shape the future

Published: 03 October, 2016

Besides helping brands reach a boarder base of consumers and create a dialogue with them, social media is also helping to drive what many on the panel at September's WSTA conference see as the way forward for brands - collaboration.

WSTA Part 1: How technology and innovation may shape the future

Published: 30 September, 2016

Innovation and technology, as we all know, has drastically changed business, primarily changing the ways we connect with our consumers and understand their needs. The pressure has never been higher on business leaders to innovate continuously and to do so quickly.

Restaurateurs urged to embrace smartphone technology - and ignore fears of negative feedback on social media

Published: 23 September, 2016

Smartphone technology is playing an increasingly significant role in the habits of consumers when they dine out - and might be better for business than proprietors imagine.

The Wine Show's Amelia Singer on being a social (media) butterfly

Published: 25 May, 2016

Amelia Singer, presenter of ITV's The Wine Show, is focusing on bringing new audiences to wine with her fun and friendly presence on social media.

Yealands launches New Zealand's first vineyard tour guide app

Published: 12 April, 2016

A New Zealand winery is paving the way for enhancing visitor experience with new technology by launching a first of its kind vineyard tour app.

Wine review app Quini launches widget to help spread the word

Published: 04 September, 2015

Wine ratings and review app Quini has created a widget for websites, bloggers and wine writers to feature its content.

Peer recommendations and traffic building search tools are vital for online wine sales

Published: 04 April, 2014

Bernadette Costello reports on the growing importance of online recommendations and why it is vital you find ways to convince search engines to drive more traffic to your website