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Multiple messages: How retailers are communicating sustainability initiatives

Published:  07 December, 2022

With sustainability such a broad concept, how do retailers communicate the message? Angela Mount asks those at the sharp end.

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Drink brands still going strong despite rise of discounters

Published:  29 November, 2022

According to Kantar, food price inflation jumped to a record high of 14.7% in October, and these rising costs have coincided with a surge in sales for discount retailers like Aldi and Lidl.

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M&S to rethink wine range

Published:  18 November, 2022

M&S is on a mission to offer “the most exciting wine range on the planet”. James Bayley catches up with head of BWS Andrew Shaw to find out more.

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M&S announce ‘Wine Transformation’ set to launch September 2023

Published:  26 October, 2022

In a Harpers exclusive, Andrew Shaw, head of BWS at M&S revealed plans to create the “most exciting wine range on the planet.”

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Sustainability in action

Published:  24 October, 2022

Retail can sometimes feel like the centre of the world in business. It joins customer to distributor and producer, as arbiter of supply and demand. This is particularly true in the wine trade, where its gatekeepers provide a vital entry point into an often obscure product category. However, in this new era of hyper sustainability sensitivity, retail has a less obvious – if equally important – role to play, with less power over sustainability related goals than some might think.

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The only way is grape for Asda

Published:  13 October, 2022

In April 2021, Asda unveiled a major change to its wine aisles by becoming the first major UK supermarket to group all wine by grape variety instead of country.

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Pernod predicts return to form for Christmas spirit(s)

Published:  30 September, 2022

Pernod Ricard is banking on the return of a pre-pandemic Christmas atmosphere this year, with its festive campaigns revealing a heavy focus on leveraging treating behaviours amid a tense economy, bouyed by the world cup.

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Aldi launches 70 new wines with the help of consumers

Published:  28 September, 2022

Newly minted Big Four retailer Aldi has unveiled its newest roster of seasonal wines, but this time with a twist in the wine-buying tale.

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Waitrose spreads its bets this winter

Published:  28 September, 2022

Waitrose is doubling down on its strategy of offering ‘something for everyone’ at all price points, with a mixture of promotions and everyday low-price sales remaining key to the retailer’s approach this autumn in store and through Waitrose Cellar.

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Organic wine sales increase 27.4% Y-O-Y at Majestic

Published:  14 September, 2022

Majestic, the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, has announced a significant boost in organic wine sales. The figures indicate that the organic wine movement shows no signs of slowing down.

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Multiples: Consumers swapping to convenience stores

Published:  12 September, 2022

The pandemic years have shown a marked alteration in the fundamental patterns of shopping. During the first lockdown, there was a noticeable shift to more local shopping, as consumers strove to minimise contact with others. Today it would appear this trend has embedded itself in the very mindset of the average shopper, with convenience stores now accounting for 28.9% of UK grocery shopping.

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Cautious optimism for energy freeze as trade braces for bitter winter

Published:  09 September, 2022

The six-month energy cap unveiled by the Prime Minister yesterday has been met with a smattering of optimism among businesses. Though predictably, the resounding consensus from many corners of the trade is that the measure does not nearly go far enough in limiting the impact of exorbitant energy costs.

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Majestic reveals wishlist for 76 new store locations

Published:  30 August, 2022

The CEO of Majestic has promised a year of free wine to anyone that can help find suitable sites from a newly revealed wishlist of 76 potential store locations. 

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Everything is all white at Aldi

Published:  16 August, 2022

Aldi has lifted the lid on its most popular whites this summer, as consumers looked to slake their thirst in the record-breaking British sunshine.

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Supermarkets and the benefits of own-label wines

Published:  12 August, 2022

When a ‘wine person’ opens a bottle of wine, it is safe to say much has been considered beforehand. Where is it from? What is the back story? How was it made?

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Tequila’s star continues to rise as supermarkets sales double

Published:  25 July, 2022

Tequila is stealing a march on other spirits categories, with an impressive 94% growth spurt in two years underpinning the rise of the Mexican spirit in the UK.

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Majestic re-enter En Primeur market with Bordeaux ‘21 campaign

Published:  14 July, 2022

After a fourteen year absence; the UK’s largest specialist retailer, Majestic, is reentering the en primeur market with a new campaign for Bordeaux’s 2021 vintage.

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Rioja Wine Month returns this October

Published:  29 June, 2022

A month-long celebration of Spain’s finest wine-producing region across independent retailers and restaurants nationwide, Rioja Wine Month returns this October to bring the quality and diversity of Rioja to life for consumers across the UK.

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Wines Direct survey: Consumers' green concerns

Published:  07 June, 2022

More and more people are taking the environment into consideration when it comes to choosing alcoholic drinks products. A Wines Direct survey reveals their main areas of worry.

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Fizz and cocktails set to pop this Jubilee weekend as the less-but-better trend continues

Published:  31 May, 2022

Brits drink less alcohol than they did during the past two Jubilee celebrations – a trend which is likely to carry over this weekend as party planners fill shelves and ice boxes. However, wine and spirits have a greater share of that pie, as the two categories steal a march from the once all-powerful beer category.

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