Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Brits set to mix up Christmas drink choices

Published: 11 November, 2020

Brits are gearing up to throw out the festive rule book this Christmas with new research showing a shift in festive consumer drinking trends.

The cost of lockdown 2.0 in numbers

Published: 04 November, 2020

There’s no escaping the imminent impact of lockdown 2.0 on on-trade Christmas sales, even if we go back to the tiered system in December.

New indie Christmas campaign for Bordeaux

Published: 07 October, 2020

Bordeaux Wines UK has inveiled a new Christmas campaign aimed at independent wine merchants.

An ever lengthening festive period bodes well for on-trade

Published: 17 December, 2019

A bumper Christmas could be on the on-trade horizon driven by the festive period now extending across three weeks compared to the ‘historic’ two, according to CGA.

Spotlight on 2020: Andy Talbot, Off-Piste Wines

Published: 16 December, 2019

As we prepare for the new decade, Harpers looks back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

South Western train strike adds to London hospitality woes

Published: 12 December, 2019

Nik Darlington from importer Graft, which specialises in supplying the London on-trade, says the South Western Railway strike alongside steep business rates and overbearing rents with could tip some hospitality businesses over the edge this Christmas…

Trivento redesigns labels for Christmas

Published: 29 October, 2019

Argentinean wine brand Trivento has unveiled a time-limited Christmas-themed label for its Reserve Malbec.

On nailing the Christmas trade-up

Published: 18 October, 2019

Upselling has always been the name of the game at Christmas. But is there more the on- and off-trade can do? James Lawrence reports

At the 11th hour, how will a no-deal Brexit affect the wine trade?

Published: 16 October, 2019

As the UK fruit and vegetable harvest gets into full swing in the looming shadow of Brexit, headlines such as The Guardian’s ‘Tonnes of crops left to rot as farms struggle to recruit EU workers’ are becoming commonplace.

Berkmann hedges against Brexit Christmas chaos

Published: 14 October, 2019

UK distributor Berkmann Wine Cellars has invested £5m in increased stocks and storage capacity at bond in the run-up to Christmas.

Christmas indie predictions: trends and top tips for the festive season

Published: 17 September, 2019

Speaking to independent merchants on the September tasting circuit it’s clear that their minds have already turned to Christmas and what is for them the busiest time of the year.

More segmentation around Christmas needed as trading up accelerates

Published: 27 August, 2019

Pernod Ricard is encouraging retailers and on-trade operators to think about Christmas in a series of moments and occasions that run throughout October, November and December, with different opportunities at different points through the three-month period.

Two to three big Christmases left for gin amid premium spirits boom

Published: 23 August, 2019

Pernod Ricard is banking on another big hurrah for gin growth this festive season, with its on-going popularity and major presence in the UK’s cocktail culture helping to boost growth of premium spirits.

Q&A: Dean Harper, owner of HarperWells shares his Norwich knowledge

Published: 12 February, 2019

James Lawrence talks Brexit, MUP, millennials and alternative formats with indie Dean Harper of HarperWells

Concha y Toro UK rings in bumper Christmas as supermarkets break sales records

Published: 21 January, 2019

Temperatures were unseasonably mild over Christmas, and from the latest results, it looks like things were unexpectedly cosy for UK retail.

Majestic wine sales fizz over Christmas

Published: 09 January, 2019

Majestic Wine enjoyed a merry Christmas despite the “challenging market backdrop”.

BWS enjoys strong festive build up as general grocery sales slump

Published: 08 January, 2019

Shoppers visited supermarkets more often in the run up to Christmas, but sales slumped to half the level of growth returned last year, according to Nielsen.

Looking ahead: Stephen Finch, Vagabond Wines

Published: 03 January, 2019

Once again we are catching up with the trade to find out how businesses looked to make the most of the all-important Christmas trading period, while also looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities 2019 will bring.