Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Stephen Dell, Kantar: Justifying your prices

Published: 18 May, 2022

Stephen Dell, senior client lead at market analyst Kantar, argues that brand strength – not price cutting – is the best weapon against inflation.

Alcohol improves on pre-pandemic growth in multiples

Published: 29 April, 2022

Inflation and price squeezes have impacted sales of FMCG products in the multiples over the past 12 weeks, including alcohol. However, in actual terms, alcohol is still a more profitable sector than pre-pandemic.

Sales of no and low-alcohol products soar in January

Published: 01 February, 2022

The latest grocery market share figures from Kantar show that many shoppers eschewed BWS for no-and low-alcohol brands in January.

Multiplying out

Published: 26 January, 2022

In the first of a regular look at the multiples, Andrew Catchpole sizes up the general health of the sector.

BWS retail sales decline in December 2021

Published: 05 January, 2022

Overall retail sales of beers, wines and spirits fell in the month of December, when benchmarked against Christmas 2020, though spending remained higher than it was pre-pandemic.

BWS sales continue to fall in grocery sector

Published: 12 October, 2021

Grocery alcohol sales fell by 6% for the 12 weeks to 3 October due to the impact of the reopening of the on-trade, the latest data from Kantar has revealed.

‘Return to normality’ impacts sales of BWS in grocery sector

Published: 14 September, 2021

The latest data released by Kantar indicates that UK drinkers are consuming less alcohol at home, with total grocery sales of BWS falling significantly over the past three months.

Overall BWS supermarket sales continue to slide

Published: 27 July, 2021

Beer, wine and spirits (BWS) sales through supermarkets continued to slide in the last four weeks to 17 July, down 6% compared with the same period last year, according to Total Till data from NielsenIQ released today.

Supermarkets record drop in BWS sales

Published: 20 July, 2021

Take-home sales of alcohol over the four weeks to 11 July were down by 3% compared with the previous month, according to the latest figures from Kantar.

On-trade reopening reduces supermarket BWS growth to 1%

Published: 27 April, 2021

Supermarket sales of beers, wine and spirits (BWS) slowed significantly in the past four weeks as grocers felt the knock-on effect of the return of hospitality.

BWS sales growth slows on lockdown anniversary

Published: 30 March, 2021

Alcohol sales continued to grow in March in the grocery sector boosted by lockdown but this is likely to change as the on-trade reopens, Kantar has predicted.

Think Insights day to deliver spirited agenda on drinks sector

Published: 15 March, 2021

Harpers and Drinks Retailing News readers are invited to join us for our Think Insights 2021 day of spirit-focused events on Wednesday 24 March.

Grocery BWS sales boom in January with hospitality lockdown

Published: 02 February, 2021

Alcohol sales in the grocery sector grew overall by 29% in January boosted by the closure of the on-trade sector with the Covid-19 lockdown.

BWS supermarket sales surge 25%

Published: 05 January, 2021

Supermarket sales of beer, wines and spirits (BWS) surged 25% to £4.9m in the 12 weeks to 27 December – an increase of £972m compared to the same period last year, according to Kantar data released today.

BWS sales through grocers continue to boom

Published: 23 June, 2020

Alcohol sales through grocery stores continued to boom in the past four weeks, up 43% year-on-year, as the on-trade stayed shuttered.

"Impressive" online drinks uplift here to stay

Published: 08 June, 2020

The influx of new online shoppers looks set to be sustainable, with alcoholic drinks to the fore of this growth in ecommerce.

Two out of the UK’s top five alcohol brands are wine

Published: 26 May, 2020

Wine has taken two of the top spots as the most purchased alcohol brands in the UK off-trade, with Hardys and McGuigan in second and fourth place respectively.

Gin revival vs survival

Published: 29 April, 2020

The current health crisis will hit the maturing gin market hard at time when competition is at its peak with buyers rationalising ranges and it may be only the very strongest that will survive, says Jo Gilbert.

Think Gin debate: Innovation vs Integrity

Published: 15 July, 2019

Gin is at a crossroads and needs to tread carefully to retain its authentic credentials. Andrew Catchpole listens in on the debate at Harpers Think Gin event.

Think Gin Debate: Innovation vs Integrity

Published: 19 June, 2019

As flavoured gins continue to drive rapid growth and innovation in the category, concern grows over how to ‘future proof’ the spirit and prevent it becoming a victim of its own success.