Wine retailer Majestic has announced the opening of a new retail site in Thame, Oxfordshire. The addition comes as the business prepares to open two more stores as well as two Vagabond wine bars over the coming months.
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Online wine retailer and wholesaler Good Wine Good People (GWGP) has announced a fresh crowdfunding round in a bid to expand the business.
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French wine on-trade sales have taken a hit over the past year, though bright spots are present, with a strong showing in the off-trade for Gallic labels by contrast. Off-trade performance is partly spurred by French sparkling – according to Kantar’s Take Home Purchase Panel the category grew 24% and 4.6% in terms of volume and value respectively over the past five years – the diverging figures potentially illustrating the promise of categories such as Crémant.
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Online wine retailer Perfect Cellar has announced the addition of Master Sommelier Christopher Delalonde to its team. The former Sommelier of the Year winner joins as head of fine wine, while also steering the company’s new Collector Club.
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Wine wholesaler Evertons Wine Merchants has announced the opening of a retail site, with a new wine shop set to open in Worcester on Friday 2 May.
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Kiwi Cru an online retailer and events company dedicated to the promotion of wines from New Zealand has been launched in the UK. The new project is spearheaded by founder Pippa Wood, an entrepeneur who has held past roles at Berry Bros. & Rudd and Bolney Wine Estate.
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Bicester-based importer North South Wines has announced the appointment of two new team members. Holly Ninnes (pictured, left) joins in the newly created role of commercial buyer, with Mark Juggins (right) stepping in as the company’s latest head of off-trade. The new additions are part of a wider five-year growth strategy which seeks to expand the business’s commercial footprint.
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Colchester-headquartered independent drinks manufacturer and distributor Riviera Drinks has announced the acquisition of Soho Street Cocktails, a ready-made cocktail brand.
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Reserve Wines’ willingness to keep things fresh and adapt in an ever-evolving wine market has meant accolades and praise have continued to come the Manchester-based merchant’s way. When one digs a little deeper, decoding why the Harpers 50 Best Indies 2025 winner has continued to succeed is fairly simple.
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Condor Wines, the independent South American specialist importer, has partnered with the Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA) to launch a new membership package, designed specifically for independent merchants.
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Importers face a fine balancing act heading into 2025, continuing to present a diverse, well-priced portfolio offer while being beset by the cost shocks of duty rises, EPR and National Insurance rises, to name just a few. For specialist importers of South American wine navigating this puzzle can feel notably headache-inducing, particularly because naturally high-abv wines such as Argentinian Malbecs will be harder hit by duty changes. This is a challenge as these wines’ very taste and style can rely upon this higher alcohol content.
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A new strategic plan from Naked Wines has been announced by the online retailer, including the aspiration of reaching £10-15m annual earnings before earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in the medium term.
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Virgin Wines, one of the UK’s leading online wine retailers, has announced a new growth strategy which aims to increase the company’s yearly revenue to £100m within five years. This would represent a substantial increase as the retailer's revenue for the 2024 financial year stood at £59m.
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Rum officially broke the £1bn sales barrier in the UK in 2018, just one year after gin, while riding high on a reputation for being a bartending favourite and the high-energy drink that takes partying to the next level.
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C&C Group, the drinks manufacturer-distributor whose ownership portfolio includes Matthew Clark Bibendum, Tennent’s Lager and Bulmer’s cider, saw its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) increase to €76-78mn for the 12 months ending 28 February 2025. This compares to €60mn for the same period the previous year.
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An emerging global data picture courtesy of the IWSR shows that wine sales are diverging from that of spirits, beer and ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, as alcohol spend around the world continues to lag behind disposable income.
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As the usual business headwinds seemingly turn to a howling gale, we once again
ask the independent merchants’ sector for their take on what the year ahead holds.
Félix Solís saw growth among a number of its brands within the UK market in 2024. This included an impressive +85.3% volume increase for its Mucho Más wine brand, according to figures from Nielsen MAT.
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Bodega Argento, one of Argentina’s leading wine producers, has entered a new distribution agreement with Freixenet Copestick in a bid to strengthen its presence in the UK market. The partnership, set to commence on 1 January 2025, will see Freixenet Copestick take on the distribution of Bodega Argento’s premium wine range across the UK.
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Freixenet Copestick has entered a strategic partnership with Spain’s Zamora Company to distribute its wines in the UK and Northern Ireland, starting from 1 September 2024.
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