Drinkers urged to write to their MP to get the Chancellor to Call Time on Duty

As part of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association's Call Time on Duty campaign, being launched today to try and force the government to scrap the duty escalator and raise £230m and 6,000 jobs in the process, it is calling on the public to show their support and email a letter to their local MP to put pressure on the Chancellor.

Scrapping duty escalator will raise £230m and 6,000 jobs says WSTA's new Call Time on Duty campaign

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association is today ramping up the pressure on the governement to scrap the alcohol duty esclator by claiming it would generate £230 million and create 6,000 jobs if it was dropped before the 2014 budget.

Major buyers from all channels sign up to first Wine Buyers' Forum

Buyers that have signed up to the inaugural Wine Buyers' Forum to be held in Windsor next March have on average over £2 million worth of buying power each.

The 7 Best Ways to Improve Online Conversion

Find out how to make the most of your website and take steps to improve online conversion rates with this report from RedEye and Econsultancy and its Conversion Rate Optimization Report. This study looks at what methods and techniques are being used by the larger e-commerce companies and comes up with seven key ways in which e-commerce business can improve their website conversion. Click on the report attached.

Cambridge Wine Merchants named as Sud de France Retailer of the Year

Cambridge Wine Merchants has been named the Sud de France Retailer of the Year in a competition run by the region's generic body, in association with Harpers.

Consumers not convinced by premium New World sparkling wine says Tesco's Jewell

The market for New World sparkling wine in the UK is likely to remain stagnant for the foreseeable future, according to Tesco wine buyer Laura Jewell MW.

New Zealand and France hit International Wine Challenge's top spot

Metro Group looks to drive wine growth in Russia

Metro Group, the world's fifth largest retail operation, is looking to widen its reach across Russia, the company's second largest wine market after France, and urged delegates at last month's Wine Vision to seriously invest in the country.

Andrew Park on protecting customers from wine investment scams

We regularly hear of fine wine investment companies going bump and customers' supposed holdings turning out to be non-existent. Wine trade law specialist Andrew Park of  APP Wine Lawlooks what reputable merchants can do to ensure that their customers are not at risk.

Independents should target the "ethical" under-35 consumer says IGD

Specialist independent wine merchants and retailers looking to sell organic, Fairtrade and ethically sourced wine and spirits are urged to specifically target the under-35 age group as they are the most likely consumers to want to buy such products, according to new IGD research released today.

Shoppers waiting for Christmas deals before spending says Nielsen

Consumers are increasingly holding back on their grocery shopping and waiting for Christmas deals to come in to play as the performance of the UK's major supermarkets declined for the third successive 12-week period, according to the latest statistics from retail analysts Nielsen.

Independent Wine Crew joins forces to help each other run better businesses

Online grocery sector set to increase by 123% in the next five years

Online grocery sales are set to grow by a staggering 123% to be worth £14.6 billion by 2018, according to the Institute of Grocery Distribution.

Morrisons full online grocery offer to go live on January 10

Morrisons has confirmed its first home delivery online grocery service will go live on January 10 which promises to make full use of its partnership with online specialist retailer Ocado.

Personalised marketing is key to future wine sales says Amazon at Wine Vision

Personalised marketing, customer reviews and product comparisons are key to successfully selling alcohol online, according to Amazon.

Marks & Spencer to launch carbon neutral PET Beaujolais Nouveau

Marks & Spencer is set to launch what it claims is the first carbon neutral Beaujolais Nouveau. The 2013 vintage is to be bottled in PET and launched, in line with tradition, on the third Thursday of November (21). 

Wine Vision Live News Blog: Why wine is integral to Amazon's growth strategy

Amazon has its sights firmly set on the wine and alcoholic drinks sector as it sees the "consumables" sector as a vital part of its future growth strategy.

Wine Vision Live News Blog: Tesco's Dan Jago vision of being a world class wine business

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M&S to engage wine customers "emotionally"

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We must make wine less intimidating say global leaders at Wine Vision

Industry leaders issued stark warnings about making wine less intimidating for consumers and moving the focus away from price at today's Wine Visionconference in London.