Warm weather spells good news for wine retailers

Published: 27 July, 2012

The long-awaited appearance of the sun after a washout early summer spells good news for UK retailers, with some seeing double-digit uplifts in wine sales.

Waitrose has reported 13% growth in overall wine sales in the past week compared with last year. Head of wines Pierpaolo Petrassi MW attributed the boost to shoppers "celebrating the much welcomed sunshine".

"Other warm weather categories have been selling well, with New Zealand up 30% and Champagne up 19%, year on year," he said.

The retailer's one-week rosé wine promotion, called Drink Pink, has "been a hit with those entertaining under blue skies", he added, and has resulted in rosé sales increasing by 134%.

Sainsbury's is also predicting a 30% growth in sales of rosé and white wine. "Our customers are certainly celebrating some summer weather this week,"
said BWS category manager Andy Phelps.

"Beer and cider sales have been strong so far and we are predicting uplifts of 50% as they continue to enjoy the weather, and enjoy barbecues and picnics for the rest of the week," Phelps added.

Rosé wines have struggled so far this summer but are predicted to benefit from the recent warm weather, according to independent retailers.

Stephen Finch, owner of Vagabond Wines in Fulham, said: "Assuming this nice weather holds I think we'll see a nice pick-up with rosé, which hasn't done much so farthis summer," he said.

Finch added that changeable weather conditions, or a return to bad weather, would be damaging to turnover. "It's the swings in weather that hurts business," he said, "sunny and warm one day and cold and rainy the next."

Mike Matthews from Battersea's North & South Wines commented on a "definite move towards rosé sales, in particular our Laurent-Perrier Rosé and Château l'Aumérade Cru Classé Rosé from Provence".

The on-trade is also witnessing a spike in sales thanks to the weather. Drake & Morgan has reported "an excellent uplift in sales" at its London venues the Parlour and the Refinery - both of which have large alfresco areas. Marketing manager Natalia di Palma predicted a rise in the sales of rosé and sparkling rosé. "We've also seen an increase in sales for English wine this summer," she said.

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