Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Alcohol sales knocked by lockdown

Published: 08 June, 2020

Despite the marked shift from on-trade to home drinking, lockdown could still leave a sobering £7bn hole in total UK alcohol sales, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

Ginposium moves online

Published: 08 June, 2020

The Gin Guild has moved its annual gin industry seminar Ginposium online.

"Impressive" online drinks uplift here to stay

Published: 08 June, 2020

The influx of new online shoppers looks set to be sustainable, with alcoholic drinks to the fore of this growth in ecommerce.

Food & accommodation sectors have largest proportion furloughed

Published: 05 June, 2020

The extent to which lockdown has impacted on the UK hospitality sector has been thrown into sharp relief by the latest ONS (Office for National Statistics) figures.

Online BWS sales double during May

Published: 05 June, 2020

Online sales of beers, wines and spirits boomed during May, as the UK’s second month under lockdown drove a record numbers of thirsty consumers to embrace ecommerce.

Morgenrot celebrates 50th with Alzheimer's charities fundraisers

Published: 04 June, 2020

Morgenrot has launched a series of fundraising activities to raise money for Alzheimer’s charities and causes throughout 2020.

Innovation Report: Boundary-crossing beverages

Published: 01 June, 2020

Drinks companies are stepping out when it comes to the no and low category. Lucy Britner looks at some of the more innovative offers.

‘Diversity and flexibility’ may replace specialism longer term

Published: 28 May, 2020

Such has been the upheaval wrought by the Covid pandemic that drinks businesses may have to remain agile in the longer term to meet a changed consumer landscape, with the days of specialism in one route or approach to market numbered.

Innovation Survey: All change

Published: 27 May, 2020

For this year's Innovation Focus, Harpers once again surveyed the trade to uncover the latest business-improving innovations in the drinks world. Andrew Catchpole reports on the findings.

Q&A: Rowena Curlewis, CEO & co-founder, Denomination

Published: 21 May, 2020

Designer Rowena Curlewis talks trends and packaging design in a post-pandemic world. Andrew Catchpole tunes in.

NPD: All systems… pause

Published: 18 May, 2020

The global pandemic and changing consumer behaviour that accompanies it have presented myriad challenges when it comes to NPD, as Lisa Riley reports

Government urged to end rent stalemate to save hospitality sector

Published: 18 May, 2020

UK Hospitality has again called on the UK government to intervene in the ongoing rent stalemate to prevent “widespread job losses and business failures” across the sector.

Pandemic is officially “Bad for beer, better for spirits and wine”

Published: 15 May, 2020

Beer and cider were hard-hit in the 2008/9 economic crisis, suffering from a combination of duty rises, an on-trade slump and increased at-home consumption, all of which tend to favour spirits and wine.

WSTA outlines key priorities for post-Brexit trade

Published: 06 May, 2020

Back in proactive lobbying mode, the WSTA outlined its key priorities and government asks on Wednesday as the UK hurtles towards the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020.

Liv-ex updates its LWIN wine and spirits identifier

Published: 01 May, 2020

Liv-ex has introduced “significant” upgrades to its universal LWIN (Liv-ex wine identification number) identifier for wines and spirits.

Gin revival vs survival

Published: 29 April, 2020

The current health crisis will hit the maturing gin market hard at time when competition is at its peak with buyers rationalising ranges and it may be only the very strongest that will survive, says Jo Gilbert.

Online BWS sales soar 78%

Published: 29 April, 2020

Online sales of beers, wines and spirits (BWS) surged 78% in the last four weeks making it the fastest growing grocery category in terms of sales.

Goedhuis promotes Dunmow to technology director and appoints him to the board

Published: 27 April, 2020

Goedhuis & Co has promoted its associate director of technology, Peter Dunmow, to the position of technology director at the same time as appointing him to the board.

News round up: All the world’s a (virtual) stage

Published: 24 April, 2020

As the pandemic continues to run it's grim course, news of new initiatives, charitable acts, mutual support and sharing continue to pour into Harpers' inbox, with the trade excelling itself when it come to showing an imaginative and caring face. Here are just some of those many acts and events that have caught our eye this week.

Living with lockdown – Enotria & Coe

Published: 24 April, 2020

Troy Christensen, CEO at Enotria & Coe, talks frankly with Andrew Catchpole about the impact of the current crisis on on-trade suppliers and the daunting challenges ahead for the hospitality sector.