Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Loire Valley sparklers herald UK uplift

Published: 02 July, 2020

Loire Valley fizz has enjoyed a surge in exports to the UK, with Crémant de Loire having jumped just shy of 50%.

Alcohol sales knocked by lockdown

Published: 08 June, 2020

Despite the marked shift from on-trade to home drinking, lockdown could still leave a sobering £7bn hole in total UK alcohol sales, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

Alcohol weathers Covid-19 peaks and troughs to become second highest food and drink growth category

Published: 20 May, 2020

Alcohol has weathered the storm of the coronavirus, new figures show, beating packaged foods and other beverages to see a 25% uplift in value sales since the beginning of lockdown.

Polarisation in the drinks market

Published: 02 April, 2020

A new report revealed both mainstream and super-premium categories were growing pre-pandemic, while highlighting the opportunities for retailers. Lisa Riley looks at some of the trends that may re-emerge down the line.

Distell reverses course on premium division

Published: 31 March, 2020

South African drinks giant Distell has shuttered its premium wine division Libertas Vineyards and Estates after little more than a year.

Austria wine exports hit record high

Published: 13 March, 2020

Austria’s wine industry posted record export growth figures in 2019 by both value and volume.

New group CFO for Quintessential

Published: 24 February, 2020

International spirits producer Quintessential Brands has appointed Alex Pollard as its new group chief finance officer.

TWE slashes growth predictions as US business stalls

Published: 29 January, 2020

Treasure Wine Estates (TWE) has cut its predictions of growth for 2020 from between 15% and 20% to between 5% and 10% after its first half-year figures were released yesterday.

Spotlight on 2020: Damian Clarke, Freixenet Copestick

Published: 16 December, 2019

As we prepare for the new decade, Harpers looks back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

UK pub numbers on the rise again

Published: 11 December, 2019

The number of British pubs has increased for the first time in a decade, analysis from hospitality sector software start-up Stampede has revealed.

Drinks sales rescue on-trade from weak November

Published: 09 December, 2019

Drinks sales in Britain’s pubs helped the on-trade stay in growth in November, latest monthly food-and-drink data from the Coffer Peach Tracker has shown.

Diageo buys Tipplesworth to drive cocktails ‘on tap’ growth

Published: 03 December, 2019

Diageo has acquired pre-mix cocktail specialist Tipplesworth for an undisclosed sum.

Low and no on-trade sales soar by nearly 50%

Published: 02 December, 2019

Sales of no- and low-alcohol drinks in the on-trade have risen nearly 50% in the last year, according to a new report from food-and-drink sector analysts CGA.

Washington closes in on six new AVAs as wineries pass 1,000 mark

Published: 19 November, 2019

Washington State has edged closer to its aim of adding six new AVAs to its current roster of 14 as this Pacific North West producer continues on its fast growth trajectory.

Gin: Ascending the throne

Published: 14 November, 2019

It’s been on the cards for some time. Back in 2014, there were rumblings that gin was poised to overtake vodka as the UK’s spirit of choice in time for the new decade.

New MD for Mast-Jägermeister UK

Published: 30 October, 2019

Mast-Jägermeister has appointed Michael Cleary as its new managing director for the UK.

China fuels Aussie wine export growth

Published: 30 October, 2019

Australia’s wine exports grew 7% by value in the 12 months to 30 September 2019 to AU$2.89bn, Wine Australia has revealed.

Aperol drives global growth for Gruppo Campari

Published: 29 October, 2019

Gruppo Campari has reported strong organic sales growth of 6.9% for the nine months to 30 September.

Growth slows at Pernod Ricard

Published: 18 October, 2019

Sales growth at global drinks giant Pernod Ricard has slowed, with first-quarter turnover of €2.483bn revealing underlying growth of just 1.3%, in line with expectations.