Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Multiples: Summer of innovation

Published: 09 August, 2024

James Bayley takes a look at supermarket giant Tesco as it unveils its summer drinks trends and celebrates success at the IWC.

Bibendum secures 16 new wine listings at Tesco

Published: 09 August, 2024

Bibendum Off Trade continues to play a significant role in the off-trade sector, building on its established presence in the supermarket wine market with 16 new wine listings at Tesco.

New hybrid wine launches at Tesco

Published: 05 August, 2024

Tesco is set to launch a PIWI wine this month: Tesco Finest Floreal. This hybrid wine, available in the UK for the first time, has been developed to tackle the growing challenges of climate change.

Multiples: Summer trade is on a roll

Published: 05 July, 2024

James Bayley looks at how the Euros look set to influence consumer spending patterns to the benefit of the UK trade.

Weather drives May grocery sales boost, offering opportunities for off-trade alcohol sector ahead of Euros and Olympics

Published: 31 May, 2024

Weather has overtaken inflation as the primary driver of UK grocery sales growth in May, according to new data from NIQ. Total till sales at UK supermarkets grew by 3.3% for the four weeks ending 18 May 2024. This growth was fueled by shifts between wet and warm weather, which pushed value growth at supermarkets to 5.1%, a two-month high excluding Easter.

2024 Sud de France Top 100 tasting to showcase best Occitanie wines

Published: 30 May, 2024

The 2024 Top 100 Sud de France tasting event is set to showcase the finest wines from Languedoc, Roussillon and the South-West on 12 June in London. For the first time, attendees will experience a self-pour tasting format, allowing visitors to explore the Top 100 wines at their own pace.

Multiples: A shifting landscape of beverage consumption

Published: 15 May, 2024

James Bayley looks at the growing trend towards functional drinks, such as CBD-infused variants, and how the multiples are responding.

Demographic shifts propel stout resurgence

Published: 22 April, 2024

In a dynamic market landscape marked by shifting consumer preferences, the stout category is experiencing a notable resurgence, driven by changing demographics. Guinness is chief among the brands leading this charge, as highlighted in Diageo’s recent six-month performance update ending December 2023.

Multiples: Green moves on Aldi wine aisle

Published: 11 April, 2024

James Bayley talks us through Aldi’s new paper wine bottles and how the move could revolutionise supermarket drinks packaging.

Cork & Closures: Back to cork

Published: 01 March, 2024

As Broadland Drinks re-installs its corking line after a 15-year absence, Jo Gilbert looks at the future for cork as a technically sound, carbon negative option.

Multiples: Mixed Xmas 2023 for BWS

Published: 12 February, 2024

Some supermarkets reported buoyant sales over the festive period. James Bayley crunches the numbers.

Multiples: Healthy year-round growth for low & no

Published: 22 January, 2024

Supermarkets are reporting a consistent uptick in sales of this much-talked about category– and not just during the traditional post-festive period. James Bayley reports.

BWS Christmas sales down for UK multiples

Published: 11 January, 2024

Despite record spend on groceries during Christmas in UK supermarkets, sales of beer, wine and spirits were all in decline over the same period.

Segura Viudas launches first-to-market premium Cava in Tesco

Published: 19 May, 2023

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava is to launch exclusively in Tesco stores across the UK from Monday 22 May. The listing in Tesco is the first in any global market for this new quality tier.

Majestic’s Rob Cooke joins WSTA board

Published: 28 April, 2023

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has welcomed Majestic’s COO, Rob Cooke, to its board this month.

Pressure on energy and foodservice providers to tackle ‘greedflation’

Published: 14 April, 2023

Industry leaders are calling on Ofgem to force energy suppliers to renegotiate contracts signed with hospitality businesses at the height of the supply crisis, as price inflation continues to rise – and attract criticism – at the biggest FMCG firms, including Tesco.

Multiples: Consumers swapping to convenience stores

Published: 12 September, 2022

The pandemic years have shown a marked alteration in the fundamental patterns of shopping. During the first lockdown, there was a noticeable shift to more local shopping, as consumers strove to minimise contact with others. Today it would appear this trend has embedded itself in the very mindset of the average shopper, with convenience stores now accounting for 28.9% of UK grocery shopping.

Supermarkets and the benefits of own-label wines

Published: 12 August, 2022

When a ‘wine person’ opens a bottle of wine, it is safe to say much has been considered beforehand. Where is it from? What is the back story? How was it made?

Retail market starting to return to pre-Covid norms

Published: 04 July, 2022

According to Kantar, sales are falling at all the major multiples, but it’s not all doom and gloom. During the 12 weeks to 12 June, supermarket sales, including alcohol, groceries and softs, fell 1.9% year on year. Supermarket alcohol sales are also declining, down 12% year on year in the same period.