Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Supermarket BWS sales stay strong

Published: 19 August, 2020

Sales of beer, wine and spirits (BWS) through supermarkets increased 20% in the past four weeks, while total grocery sales slowed down.

Global online buying frenzy levelling out

Published: 11 August, 2020

The extraordinary upward curve in online wine and spirit sales appears to be flattening, suggests the latest data from Wine-Searcher.

Spirits: Premium’s in the house

Published: 10 August, 2020

Premium spirits have done a roaring trade under lockdown, as consumers with no place to go attempt to recreate some on-trade magic, writes Nigel Huddleston

Kingsland offshoot to focus on ‘amazing opportunities’ for innovation

Published: 06 August, 2020

The levels of innovation witnessed so far in the spirits world are only a beginning, according to Becky Davies, who is heading up the new Kingsland Drinks’ spirits subsidiary that was unveiled earlier this week.

Premium spirits to defy Covid pressures

Published: 05 August, 2020

Premium-and-above spirits are forecasted to increase their global volume market share to 13% by 2024 as consumers continue to search for “authenticity and status”, according to the IWSR.

Ian Cumming: Back to Business Q&A

Published: 03 August, 2020

As the trade measures up to extraordinary times and swings into the height of summer, leading businesses and operators take stock of trading conditions in the new normal.

SWA publishes revised industry marketing code

Published: 30 July, 2020

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has published the fourth edition of its Code of Practice for the Responsible Marketing and Promotion of Scotch Whisky.

Campari Group profits drop one third in Q2

Published: 28 July, 2020

The Campari Group has reported a 33.5% drop in net profit, down to €77.6m, across the second quarter of 2020, with sales down 11.3%, at €768.7m.

Friday read: Retail sales boom belies range stagnation

Published: 17 July, 2020

With supermarket wine sales soaring, buying strategies have altered dramatically, as Angela Mount reports.

Diageo claims first with ‘paper’ spirits bottle as part of new sustainability venture

Published: 13 July, 2020

Diageo has announced that it has created what it claims to be the world’s first 100% plastic free paper-based spirits bottle.

June delivers another bumper month for online BWS sales

Published: 09 July, 2020

Despite the reopening of bricks and mortar stores, online continued to surge through June, surpassing May’s figure by 3.5%, representing a 33.9% upswing year-on-year.

Shakedown looms for English and Welsh spirits

Published: 06 July, 2020

A restructure could be on the cards for the English and Welsh spirits sector, as pressure from an impending recession begins to squeeze brands at either end of the price spectrum. Jo Gilbert reports

Off-Piste Wines: Rewriting the rules

Published: 01 July, 2020

Covid-19 came at a tricky time for Off-Piste Wines, which was forging ahead with plans to put an £8m investment to good use this summer. Jo Gilbert caught up with MD Andy Talbot to find out what Plan B looks like for this forward-thinking business.

58 Gin claims UK first with gin-based hard seltzer

Published: 30 June, 2020

London-based artisan spirits distillery 58 Gin has launched what it claims to be the first gin-based hard seltzer in the UK.

Berkmann’s spirits arm adds CBD drinks

Published: 26 June, 2020

Spirit Cartel, the spirits arm of Berkmann Wine Cellars, has added CBD drinks brand Gibson’s Goodology to its premium spirits portfolio.

BBR confirms far reaching 'review' of troubled FMV

Published: 25 June, 2020

Berry Bros. & Rudd has confirmed that it is “reviewing” its Fields, Morris & Verdin (FMV) wholesale arm, with staff consultation ongoing, with the impact of the Covid-19 crisis almost certainly meaning that the business will not continue in its current shape or form.

BWS sales through grocers continue to boom

Published: 23 June, 2020

Alcohol sales through grocery stores continued to boom in the past four weeks, up 43% year-on-year, as the on-trade stayed shuttered.

Amazon online drinks boom sustained by ‘grey pound’

Published: 22 June, 2020

Driven by the lockdown to online purchasing, some 3.3 million UK shoppers bought drinks via Amazon for the first time, with older shoppers predicted to uphold the trend.

‘Distancing’ most important to on-trade guests post-lockdown

Published: 19 June, 2020

Having social distancing measures in place has been revealed to be the key concern for consumers when they return to the on-trade post-lockdown, according to new research released by Hallgarten & Novum Wines today.

Matthew Clark pitches on-trade with account-free ‘guest checkout’ on ecommerce platform

Published: 17 June, 2020

Matthew Clark has opened out its ecommerce platform to enable new on-trade customers to order up to £1,500 without opening an account or requiring a minimum order.