Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Joe Fattorini: Wine, bottle, decanter, ZOMBIES, corkscrew

Published: 02 January, 2019

Joe Fattorini contemplates the Hedwig von Restorff effect and how contextual isolation can become a money-spinner

Looking ahead: Miles McInnes, Jascots Wine Merchants

Published: 29 December, 2018

Once again we are catching up with the trade over the next few weeks to find out how businesses are making the most of the all-important Christmas trading period, while also looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities 2019 will bring.

German, Brazilian, and English wine top Majestic’s list of tipples to watch in 2019

Published: 18 December, 2018

Wines from Germany, Brazil, and at home in the UK are being tipped as some of the breakthrough trends to open the door to success for the trade in 2019.

Rhône wines shine in the US

Published: 09 December, 2018

Sales of Rhône wines continue to decline in traditional markets, while the US east coast is showing “unprecedented levels of consumer interest,” according to leading sommeliers.

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

Published: 15 November, 2018

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…

Published: 10 October, 2018

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

Published: 02 October, 2018

Broadland Wineries has appointed Matthew Vowles as national account manager.

Brexit blamed for fall in prosecco sales

Published: 21 September, 2018

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

Capturing the impulse purchaser

Published: 20 September, 2018

"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

Published: 17 September, 2018

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

Gin sales smash records

Published: 17 September, 2018

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

Published: 05 September, 2018

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

Published: 21 August, 2018

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

Published: 20 August, 2018

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

A smarter way to sell

Published: 06 August, 2018

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

Published: 03 August, 2018

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

Published: 26 July, 2018

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

Published: 23 July, 2018

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

Premium territory

Published: 14 June, 2018

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

Published: 01 June, 2018

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.