Business & Finance - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Tesco buys Londis and Budgens owner Booker for £3.7bn

Published: 27 January, 2017

Tesco is set to merge with Britain's biggest food wholesaler Booker in a £3.7bn deal to create "the UK's leading food business".

Record-breaking year for gin makes it the success story of 2016, says WSTA

Published: 09 December, 2016

2016 has proved to be a record-breaking year for gin, with end of year sales continuing to soar.

Slow growth at Ocado fails to impress investors

Published: 08 December, 2016

The future is still uncertain for online grocer Ocado which has just released its final quarterly sales figures for 2016.

Innis & Gunn crowdfunding round raises double its target

Published: 30 November, 2016

Edinburgh-based Craft brewery Innis & Gunn has raised £2.5 million through a four-week crowdfunding campaign - more than double its original target.

Vinisud goes annual

Published: 28 November, 2016

The trade tasting which puts wines of the Mediterranean in the spotlight has become annual fixture on the international's trade's calendar.

Remy Cointreau re-bounds with 7% sales growth

Published: 24 November, 2016

Top Cognac producer Remy Cointreau has reversed its fortunes after a difficult 2015.

WSTA challenges "misleading" government projections on wine consumption

Published: 22 November, 2016

The government is relying on misleading projections for wine consumption to make decisions on alcohol duty, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association has claimed.

Majestic at "tipping point" as sales rise but profits fall

Published: 17 November, 2016

Majestic faces a challenge to turn sales into profit if they are to deliver their target of £500m in sales by 2019.

Discounter growth dips to lowest point since 2011

Published: 16 November, 2016

Sales growths across discounters Aldi and Lidl have hit their lowest level in five years as the supermarkets - led by Tesco - continue to fight back.

Scottish minimum pricing to impact over half of alcohol sales, while wine and premium spirits could benefit

Published: 15 November, 2016

Wine and premium brands could be the big winners of Scotland's impending minimum price legislation, it has been revealed.

Fever Tree sees strong growth in demand for premium mixers

Published: 08 November, 2016

Premium tonic water producer, Fever Tree, is in line to jump ahead of predictions in the second half of 2016, with analysts predicting full-year UK sales growth of 95%.

M&S to close 60 clothing and home stores but grow its Simply Food chain

Published: 08 November, 2016

Marks & Spencer is planning a major re-structure to focus on its food and drinks offering, after profits plunged 88%.

"Biggest ever" Halloween boosts sales at Morrisons

Published: 03 November, 2016

High street retailer Morrisons saw a boost to its seasonal trading sales thanks to Halloween, where sales are up 20% year-on-year.

Revenues double at Conviviality following "transformational" year

Published: 01 November, 2016

Conviviality Plc has reported strong growth across all three of its new business units, formed following the acquisition of Matthew Clark and Bibendum PLB.

Wine and spirits hit £4bn in duty revenues for the Exchequer

Published: 31 October, 2016

Duty contributions for the wine and spirits industry has hit the £4bn benchmark for the first time, with alcohol sales hitting an all-time high.

First wine, now spirits set to take a hit with rise in inflation and duty to slap a further £60m on consumers

Published: 25 October, 2016

The price of a bottle of wine and spirits is facing a major hike if duty rises in line with inflation, industry experts have warned.

Acquisitions and partnerships: Alhambra, Calabria Wines and AdVini

Published: 20 October, 2016

A leading Spanish brewery, a French wine company and New South Wales winemakers have announced new partnerships and takeovers this week in the hope of extending their reach to key international markets.

Pernod Ricard beats expectations as Jameson drives growth in the UK and US

Published: 20 October, 2016

The world's number two wines and spirits producer has performed better than expected since April, with sales of Jameson emerging as the main growth driver.

Brexit: Prices hikes and freezes abound as stalwarts review prices

Published: 19 October, 2016

With the price of consumer favourites such as Marmite, chocolate and cheese set to rise, the drinks trade is having to make tough choices on how to cope with the devaluation of the pound.

Independent merchants feel pressure as supplier price hikes start to feed through

Published: 17 October, 2016

The Bank of England warned of inflation rising beyond 2% on 14 October adding further concern to independent wine merchants who have already been forced to pass on price increases from suppliers to customers