Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Online BWS sales soar 78%

Published: 29 April, 2020

Online sales of beers, wines and spirits (BWS) surged 78% in the last four weeks making it the fastest growing grocery category in terms of sales.

Living with lockdown – Bibendum

Published: 28 April, 2020

Michael Saunders, Bibendum CEO and chairman of The Drinks Trust and WSTA, dives deep into the challenges thrown up by the current crisis. Andrew Catchpole reports

67 Pall Mall extends virtual offering with membership deal

Published: 28 April, 2020

Private members club 67 Pall Mall has extended its virtual events calendar offering with the launch of a monthly £10 membership deal.

Goedhuis promotes Dunmow to technology director and appoints him to the board

Published: 27 April, 2020

Goedhuis & Co has promoted its associate director of technology, Peter Dunmow, to the position of technology director at the same time as appointing him to the board.

Jascot’s pivots towards e-commerce amid Covid-19 angst

Published: 27 April, 2020

On-trade wine supplier Jascots has launched a full ecommerce site selling direct to consumers across the UK.

Berry Bros supports “hardest struck” smaller wine producers

Published: 27 April, 2020

Berry Bros & Rudd (BBR) has revealed an initiative to support some of the small family businesses hit by the Covid-19 crisis.

Future of wine labels is in reflecting the drinker, says Cox

Published: 27 April, 2020

A shift from traditional appellation-based, heritage and winery-focused labels to those that are “more about the market” will be hastened in the wake of the pandemic if wine is to compete with rivals drinks categories.

Joe Fattorini: Together we can change the world

Published: 27 April, 2020

“By May 1966, the plan to dam the Grand Canyon was all but enshrined in law. The bulldozers were already shattering the primordial peace, the scaffolding was up and the drilling had begun.” As one campaigner said: “The fight was lost. The dams had been approved. They were being supported by the Kennedy administration … and both houses of Congress.” His voice tinged with a despondency many of us have come to know in the past few weeks.

News round up: All the world’s a (virtual) stage

Published: 24 April, 2020

As the pandemic continues to run it's grim course, news of new initiatives, charitable acts, mutual support and sharing continue to pour into Harpers' inbox, with the trade excelling itself when it come to showing an imaginative and caring face. Here are just some of those many acts and events that have caught our eye this week.

Living with lockdown – Enotria & Coe

Published: 24 April, 2020

Troy Christensen, CEO at Enotria & Coe, talks frankly with Andrew Catchpole about the impact of the current crisis on on-trade suppliers and the daunting challenges ahead for the hospitality sector.

European wine revenues could be cut in half

Published: 24 April, 2020

European wine revenues could be cut in half as a result of Covid-19, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV).

The B2C shift: Driving it home

Published: 24 April, 2020

The coronavirus (Covid-19) has opened up a new world of B2C engagement for businesses offering a lifeline to consumers stuck inside their homes, as Jo Gilbert reports.

Wine consumption in OZ holding up but spend is down

Published: 23 April, 2020

Wine consumption in Australia has been holding up during lockdown, but spend per bottle is down, according to new Wine Intelligence Covid-19 research.

Staples bolsters Lay & Wheeler senior team

Published: 23 April, 2020

Lay & Wheeler has bolstered its senior team with the immediate addition of Simon Staples and Catherine Petrie MW.

Generics respond to the pandemic: Wines of Argentina

Published: 23 April, 2020

In the fourth of our series on how the generic bodies are responding to the pandemic, Andrew Catchpole talks to Phil Crozier, brand ambassador UK & Europe, Wines of Argentina

Taylor's declares 2018 a classic vintage

Published: 23 April, 2020

The Fladgate Partnership has declared 2018 a ‘classic vintage’ for Taylor’s but not for its Fonseca or Croft Port brands.

SA export ban raises fears of longer-term damage for industry

Published: 22 April, 2020

South Africa stands alone in the world as a country that has barred exports of wine, leading to grave concerns from both exporters and their importers over significant damage to the future of the industry.

Ecommerce sales surge but fail to make up for on-trade losses

Published: 22 April, 2020

Ecommerce sales of beer, wine and spirits (BWS) in the UK surged 50% (volume) in the first week of lockdown compared to the same period last year, while sales through the off-trade were up 20%, according to new IWSR snapshot research.

En Primeur presentations could be held in modified format this summer

Published: 22 April, 2020

The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) and Bordeaux Négoce (Association of Bordeaux Wine Merchants) are considering the possibility of proposing the 2019 En Primeurs to be held in a modified format by the end of the summer.

Generics respond to the pandemic: Wine Australia

Published: 21 April, 2020

In the third of our series on responses of the generic bodies to the Covid-19 pandemic, Andrew Catchpole talks to Laura Jewell MW, regional general manager, Wine Australia UK & Europe