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Jerry Lockspeiser: More sex please, we’re British

Published:  17 December, 2024

We need to be innovative to solve the many challenges facing the UK wine trade. Well, more sex might just be the answer. This could be very good news, being not only pleasurable but without cost to anyone’s business.

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Global on-trade ‘showing signs of revival’ says new report

Published:  06 December, 2024

Data released by the IWSR has revealed a year-on-year rise in “on-trade consumption incidences” in certain markets, gathering information from consumers in countries such as China, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the UK and the US.

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Modest start to autumn for hospitality as groups’ sales rise

Published:  23 October, 2024

Britain’s leading hospitality groups recorded modest year-on-year sales growth in September, continuing a trend of like-for-like growth that has been in situ since the beginning of the year.

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China slowdown and US challenges weigh on Pernod Ricard

Published:  17 October, 2024

Pernod Ricard, the world’s second-largest spirits group, reported revenue slump of 8.5% to €2.783 billion and a 5.9% organic decline for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, as a challenging macroeconomic environment in China and ongoing inventory adjustments in the US contributed to an underwhelming performance.

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Friday read: Sellex’s Anthony Carr on supermarkets’ underselling of English wine

Published:  02 August, 2024

With English wine enjoying an explosion of growth – and almost a third of Britons saying in a recent Aldi survey that they would celebrate a wedding with English fizz – supermarkets are not doing enough to either exploit that growth or promote it further.

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Bibendum bolsters on-trade team

Published:  15 July, 2024

Bibendum Wine’s drive for growth is to be further enhanced by new appointments to strengthen its premium sales team.

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Pernod Ricard defends organic decline as spirits sales normalise

Published:  15 February, 2024

Pernod Ricard has announced what it is calling a robust performance in the first half of the 2024 financial year despite declines in its organic sales – a performance which the company is putting down to the normalisation of the spirits market following two years of outstanding growth.

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Inflation pilfers December gains for hospitality

Published:  18 January, 2023

Britain’s leading managed pub, bar and restaurant groups enjoyed their best December trading in three years, the latest data from CGA has revealed. However, thanks to double digit inflation, sales remain well below pre-Covid levels in real terms, demonstrating the double pronged impact of the cost-of-living crisis and Covid recovery on UK businesses.

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OWC hails biggest ever Christmas

Published:  04 January, 2023

The year 2022 certainly had its challenges, with businesses struggling to make ends meet amid a soaring cost-of-living – and trading – crisis. However, one business is celebrating a bumper festive period, with last month offering up the best December in the company’s 30-year history.

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Inflation puts the boot in World Cup boost

Published:  15 December, 2022

The UK hospitality trade rode a wave of World Cup fever in November, when sales were above a still somewhat Covid-dampened environment at the end of 2021. However, with inflation biting hard and more disruption on the way over Christmas 2023, operators could be set for a challenging end-of-year run.

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Profile: Moreno Wines

Published:  13 December, 2022

Since Boutinot picked up Moreno Wines, the latter’s agile pairing of Hamish Robertson and Nick Groszek has driven impressive growth at this reinvigorated importer. Andrew Catchpole charts the change.

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Turnover up, but profits down, suggests CGA on-trade report

Published:  09 December, 2022

Footfall across the hospitality sector is up on 2019 levels in Britain’s key cities, although high inflation and rail strikes remain major concerns.

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Profile: Virgin’s positive mission

Published:  20 September, 2022

With his relaxed style and ample enthusiasm, Jay Wright certainly doesn’t fit the old stereotype of a wine trade CEO. As the boss of one of the more successful online retailers, though, he is clear about the vision and values that underpin the popularity of Virgin Wines. And much of that comes down to what he believes the company – and, by extension, the wider drinks trade – actually sells.

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Pernod Ricard announces record sales growth in 2022

Published:  01 September, 2022

Pernod Ricard has released its FY22 results, revealing a sales growth of 17% in 2022, totalling €10,701m – the first time the company has exceeded the €10 billion mark.

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Re-elected Cava president pledges to build ‘prestige’

Published:  01 August, 2022

Javier Pagés has been re-elected to the post of president of the Cava DO – a role he has pledged to use to continue to raise Cava’s status to one of “world’s highest quality sparkling wines”.

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Tequila’s star continues to rise as supermarkets sales double

Published:  25 July, 2022

Tequila is stealing a march on other spirits categories, with an impressive 94% growth spurt in two years underpinning the rise of the Mexican spirit in the UK.

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Britain’s cities back in growth as spend and inflation rise

Published:  27 June, 2022

Out-of-home food and drink sales are in growth in all of Britain’s 10 biggest city centres, with higher spend-per-visit driving growth rather than footfall.

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Naked Wines profits warning sparks shares nosedive

Published:  24 June, 2022

Online retailer Naked Wines has lost nearly 40% of its market value after it admitted that lockdown-boosted sales and heightened customer acquisition is likely to see a significant drop in 2023.

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DTC sales give Gusbourne post-pandemic boost

Published:  08 June, 2022

The latest financial results from English wine producer Gusbourne have reinforced the strong position of the category within the UK market.

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Alcohol improves on pre-pandemic growth in multiples

Published:  29 April, 2022

Inflation and price squeezes have impacted sales of FMCG products in the multiples over the past 12 weeks, including alcohol. However, in actual terms, alcohol is still a more profitable sector than pre-pandemic.

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