Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Waitrose at forefront of organic wine boom

Published: 21 August, 2018

Waitrose has revealed that organic wine sales are up 57% year-on-year as customers look for more sustainable wines.

An extra £500m investment in product and service innovation could put Waitrose ahead of the game

Published: 03 July, 2018

Store closures and profit warnings have become death knells for retailers on struggling high streets, and there was concern last week when Waitrose announced it is shutting five of its 353 stores.

Waitrose claims UK supermarket first with Japanese gin

Published: 19 February, 2018

Waitrose has claimed a UK supermarket first with the launch of a gin made in Japan.

Think Rum reveals this year’s winners

Published: 05 February, 2018

Think Rum revealed the winners of this year’s awards at the second annual event held last week, with Sly Augustin taking the prestigious Rum Champion of the Year gong and the Best Individual Rum Bar award.

Waitrose wine sales soar

Published: 14 September, 2017

Waitrose has revealed that its wine sales for the week ending 9 September were up by more than 31% on the same period last year driven by promotions.

British liqueur gains national listing

Published: 24 August, 2017

UK-made blackurrant liqueur, British Cassis, has secured its first national listing with Waitrose and will also be appearing on the shelves of Majestic.

Waitrose boxes clever with premium Provence launch

Published: 07 July, 2017

Waitrose is launching a selection of premium bag-in-box wines to tap into convenient drinking trends.

Sales of fizz breaks Christmas barrier of 45 million bottles for first time

Published: 06 March, 2017

Sales of sparkling set yet another benchmark in the run up to Christmas, with sparkler-hungry Brits quaffing 10% more than usual in the off-trade and 37% in the on-trade.

Supermarket sweep: A week in review

Published: 17 February, 2017

On the international stage, the big news this week has been dominated by an increasingly maddening number of acronyms and portmanteaus - CETA, Brexit, TTIP - as the top echelon of global businesses and governments on both sides of the Atlantic make decisions which will impact the immediate future of the trade.

The week that was: top news, Q&As and opinion on Harpers.co.uk

Published: 17 February, 2017

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have put together a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories.

The week that was: top news, Q&As and opinion on Harpers.co.uk

Published: 10 February, 2017

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have put together a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories.

Waitrose re-structure to close six of its struggling stores

Published: 09 February, 2017

Upmarket grocer Waitrose has announced a major re-structure of its stores and management teams in a move to "flexible branch team working".

Number of countries drinking English wine increased by a third in 2016

Published: 03 January, 2017

Sales of English Wine reached new heights in 2016, according to DEFRA.

Patagonian wine taking steps into the multiples with Buckingham Schenk

Published: 14 December, 2016

Patagonaian wines from southern Argentina are taking steps into the UK off-trade with a new listing at Waitrose.

Waitrose Cellar buys up barrels from historic wine auction

Published: 06 December, 2016

Waitrose wine buyers have bolstered their premium offering by buying two barrels of rare wine at the historic annual Hospices de Beaune auction.

World's oldest Port house launches into second major high street retailer

Published: 25 November, 2016

Historic Port brand, Kopke, is currently launching its Reserve Tawny Port into Waitrose - the second time the brand has been listed in a major national retailer in the UK, following the launch of its 1996 Colheita (an aged Tawny Port made with grapes from a single vintage) in M&S in September.

Campari launches pre-mixed Negroni cocktail, as "in" becomes "the new out" for consumers

Published: 10 November, 2016

Campari is looking to capitalise on the trend towards premium cocktails in the off-trade with the launch of a ready-to-drink Negroni cocktail.

The week that was: top news, Q&As and opinion on Harpers.co.uk

Published: 04 November, 2016

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have put together a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories.

Consumers looking to premium spirits to express themselves, says Waitrose report

Published: 02 November, 2016

Self-expression and defining "who you are through what you drink" were the key drinks trends to come out of Waitrose's Food and Drink Report 2016 released today.