North South latest supplier to sign up to Best Practice Guidelines

By Richard Siddle

Published: 03 November, 2014

North South Wines is the 21st supplier and the latest company to sign up to the Harpers Best Practice Guidelines which looks to help suppliers and independent wine merchants work closer together.

Director of independent sales at North South Wines, Mark Motley Mark MotleyMark Motley, director of independent sales at North South Wines

North South Wines is the 21st supplier and the latest company to sign up to the Harpers Best Practice Guidelines which looks to help suppliers and independent wine merchants work closer together.

The Guidelines were re-launched to the trade early last month as part of a wide ranging debate between leading independents and suppliers held on September 3, 2014.

Mark Motley, director of independent sales for North South Wines and former Ehramnns' staffer, told Harpers.co.uk that signing up to the Best Practice Guidelines simply made sense for their business. North South Wines was formed in September by three high profile wine professionals, including two former Ehrmanns directors,

Motley said: "North South Wines is a specialist multi-channel wine distribution company. It is in our DNA. The independent sector is very much at the core of everything we do."

Despite being a supplier to all trade channels North South Wines recognises the importance of having wines that are exclusive to the independent sector.

"At North South Wines we have a separate portfolio of wines for the independent sector, thus allowing for easy identification of which channels wines are to be distributed in. Furthermore we invest in personnel with a deep understanding of the independent channel and its requirements. As a multi-channel business, with the independent sector very much at its core, we recognise the need to have wines that are exclusive to that sector. This is of paramount importance when sourcing new suppliers," said Motley.

North South Wines also has an independent sales team that is dedicated to the sector.

Motley, who leads the independent sales, said: "Our independent sales team is dedicated to the independent sector and actively advise on and develop independent brand strategy. Each producer has channel specific activity and we work together as a company to drive that strategy and activity. This ensures transparency between us, the supplier and our customers."

If you are interested in finding out any more information about the Guidelines or signing up then contact Richard Siddle.

For a full list of which suppliers have signed up and what the Guidelines mean then go to our newly revamped Best Practice Guidelines section of Harpers.co.uk.

North South Wines North South Wines

The Harpers Best Practice Guidelines are:

1. Suppliers that want to publicly endorse the Harpers Best Practice Guidelines should commit themselves to these principles and conduct a transparent relationship with their customers in the independent sector

2. That these suppliers commit to a transparent independent merchant strategy which makes clear which channels of distribution they are trading in. This should be made available on request to individual wine merchants

3. Independent merchants can request information from these suppliers on an individual basis about which channel of distribution the wines and spirits they are interested in stocking are distributed in

4. Sales representatives of these suppliers must be made aware of their distribution strategy covering independent wine merchants

5. These suppliers should, on request from an independent wine merchant, be able to set out how this strategy is managed within their company and understood by their own sales staff

6. That training and information is being provided on these suppliers' distribution management strategy to sales staff

7. That these suppliers should inform affected independent merchants if the distribution management strategy for a particular wine or spirit changes.