Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Tech: Wine industry could do more to benefit from tech

Published: 14 October, 2024

Jo Gilbert reflects on a new Prowein business report and online discussion looking at digitalisation in the wine sector.

Analysis: Blurring boundaries

Published: 07 October, 2024

Crossover products are challenging the traditional roles of drinks, offering producers opportunities to attract new consumers. James Bayley reports.

Virgin Wines and Ocado announce exclusive partnership

Published: 07 October, 2024

Virgin Wines has agreed a strategic partnership with Ocado.com, which will give the online-only supermarket’s customers access to an exclusive selection of 50 wines from Virgin’s portfolio.

Ecommerce set to swell alcohol sales, even as growth slows

Published: 13 December, 2023

The value of alcohol e-commerce is set to see slowed growth over the next five years as sales normalise following Covid. However, value is still forecast to increase by a hefty $7.5bn as online growth continues to outstrip traditional sales.

Vivino switches up UK strategy

Published: 18 August, 2023

Vivino, the wine scoring and recommendations app, is switching up its ecommerce strategy in the UK, where it will no longer be pursuing direct sales and is instead leaning on its network of indie merchants.

Virgin recovers from end of year blip

Published: 17 July, 2023

Virgin Wines, one of the UK’s largest direct-to-consumer online wine retailers, has reported an end of year performance “in line with expectations”, following a “disappointing” downturn resulting from short term challenges at the end of 2022.

Alcohol brands launch 1-hour delivery service

Published: 29 March, 2023

Emerging UK alcohol brands NIO Cocktails, Au Vodka, Ace + Freak, and Duppy Share have launched a 1-hour eco-friendly delivery service

Friday read: Packaging up an eco ecommerce strategy

Published: 29 April, 2022

Santiago Navarro, CEO & founder of Packamama – the climate tech packaging provider spun from Garçon Wines – made his name in the creation and supply of eco-flat bottles which re-launched Accolade’s eco brand, Banrock Station, in the Co-op in 2020. Here, he dives into how wine brands and manufacturers can leverage packaging to capitalise on ecommerce, whilst responding to long-term changing consumer preferences, including sustainability.

Ecommerce to remain key driver as US online alcohol sales hit $6.1 billion

Published: 04 February, 2022

Ecommerce is becoming a major force in global retail, with online sales of BWS achieving a total value of $6.1 billion in the US market last year.

Online uplift to grow

Published: 23 December, 2021

Ecommerce is to remain a key driver of value growth in global alcoholic drinks markets, with wine to the fore. Andrew Catchpole reports.

Medium and smaller brands take lead over private label

Published: 21 October, 2020

Private label sales are down across almost all European countries, with mid-sized brands and smaller companies performing best.

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.

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.

Indie merchants look to nurture new trade ahead of economic slump

Published: 29 May, 2020

With lockdown easing and non-essential shops beginning to reopen from 15 June, the independent merchant sector is increasingly planning ways of achieving some semblance of ‘normal’ store opening, while balancing health considerations with marked changes in trading conditions.

‘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.

Ecommerce sales surge but fail to make up for on-trade losses

Published: 22 April, 2020

Ecommerce sales of beer, wine and spirits (BWS) in the UK surged 50% (volume) in the first week of lockdown compared to the same period last year, while sales through the off-trade were up 20%, according to new IWSR snapshot research.

Friday Read: Wine ecommerce - learning from China

Published: 06 March, 2020

China has become the world leader in wine ecommerce and there is much we could learn, writes Emilie Steckenborn, founder of the Bottled in China Podcast.

UK is the world’s third largest ecommerce market for alcohol – but can you name one and two?

Published: 17 October, 2019

The UK has been identified as one of the top countries in the world for sales of alcohol online, with a surprising outcome for the first and second spot.