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Wines Direct Awards 2024 point to continued appeal of ‘large merchants’

The responses, drawn from the price comparison and deal-tracking platform’s database of users and shared exclusively with Harpers, revealed that supermarkets and larger merchants remained very much in the ascendancy for price-conscious wine buying consumers.

Tesco crowned the list, with its ‘range’ and ‘affordability’ being cited as compelling reasons to shop there, with Sainsbury’s as runner up, with its spread of international skus.

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Meanwhile, Wine Merchant of the Year found Majestic in pole position, with Laithwaites just behind, with knowledgeable staff and breadth of range tipping the balance to the former. In addition, Naked Wines came top for its Wine Club.

Respondents also voted Bollinger as Champagne Brand of the Year, followed by Veuve Cliquot, with Yellow Tail being Wine Brand of the Year, and Oyster Bay in its wake.

Wines Direct reported that for UK consumers, the “large wine variety available in supermarkets, merchants and clubs consistently emerged as the top priority, with over 70% of respondents citing this as a reason for their preference”.

Good value offerings, frequent sales and special offers were also important drivers of footfall and purchasing, as was the trend to broader listings of English wines and expanded low and no ranges.

Wine Direct’s digital marketing manager Erin Richardson said: “Large merchants in the UK continue to appeal to their customers by providing in-depth knowledge and advice, helping them to make informed decisions.”

She added that the number of Wine Direct’s audience joining Wine Clubs, with the likes of Virgin Wines, Naked Wines, Majestic and so on, had grown fast over the past year, with customers enjoying the ‘feelgood factor’ of supporting what they see as smaller, more independent winemakers and wine communities.

• Tesco
• supermarkets
• Wines Direct 2024 consumer survey
• large merchants