Q&A: Robert Cooke, beers, wines & spirits director, Tesco

Buoyed by October’s encouraging interim results, Tesco is heading into the festive season with a hand in the on-trade for the first time, thanks to its merger with cash-and-carry group Booker. Jo Gilbert speaks to BWS director Robert Cooke about what the deal means for alcoholic drinks sales at the UK’s biggest grocer

Joe Fattorini: Increase your prices? What an idea…

Ditch Vulcan pricing algorithms says Communicator of the Year Joe Fattorini in a new column looking at simple yet often counterintuitive ways to boost sales

Broadland boosts sales team

Broadland Wineries has appointed Matthew Vowles as national account manager.

Brexit blamed for fall in prosecco sales

Exports to the UK of Prosecco have fallen for the first time in 10 years, Coldiretti has revealed.

Capturing the impulse purchaser

"Online sales are motoring ahead, while bricks and mortar stores struggle to withstand the domino effect taking down traditional retail.”

Berry Bros & Rudd sees sales rise

Berry Bros & Rudd (BBR) has seen sales rise by £16M, for the year ending 31 March 2018.

Gin sales smash records

Brits bought almost 60M bottles of gin in 12 months – worth over £1.6bn and up 38% on last year, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has revealed.

UK one of the most “mature” markets for alcohol online, despite accounting for less than 10% of sales

The UK is at the forefront of selling wine online thanks to well-established specialist wine retailers such as Majestic and The Wine Society, new research has revealed.

Waitrose at forefront of organic wine boom

Waitrose has revealed that organic wine sales are up 57% year-on-year as customers look for more sustainable wines.

New business showcases over 400 English wines

A new online wine club called Winebuyers has launched listing over 400 English wines.

A smarter way to sell

Jo Gilbert connects with the businesses aiming to bring the convenience, value and focus of online shopping to bricks-and-mortar stores

Royal Wedding and hot weather boost online BWS sales

Online sales of beer, wines and spirits were up 27.3% YoY in March 2018, new data has revealed.

Why the wine industry must embrace its older drinkers

New research reveals the younger drinker continues to say no to wine while the over 45’s can’t get enough. This is a big opportunity, argues Neil Anderson of Kingsland Drinks.

Vodka: return of the king

Vodka may have been eclipsed in recent years by the gin boom. But Britain’s bartenders are rediscovering its charms. 

Premium territory

Wine is helping to drive a modest return to growth in global alcohol consumption, according to new data from IWSR, which identified an uplift in total global alcohol sales of 3.5 million 9-litre cases in 2017 over 2016 levels.

Big name Champagnes fare best as Brexit hits smaller players

Brexit-related inflation is hitting drinkers of cheaper and less well-known Champagnes hardest in the UK as sales of entry-level bottles continue to fall, while bigger name brands and more expensive cuvées are faring better.

UK sales of Aperol and Campari drive group growth

Campari’s stable of brands continue to drive “sustainable growth” for the group, including Aperol and Campari, where sales rose in the UK during the first three months of the year.

Gusbourne creates marketing manager role

Gusbourne Estate has created a marketing manager role to support its next stage of development.

Yapp Brothers creates head of sales position

Yapp Brothers has created a new head of sales position for which it has appointed Simon Stuart.

Cold weather turns into pressure cooker for high street stores