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Diageo profit warning knocks European drinks markets

Published:  13 November, 2023

Diageo has issued an unexpected trading statement to warn that this year’s revenue and profit will be significantly lower than the group previously expected – a blow which has had a serious knock-on effect for the European drinks sector.

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Jerry Lockspeiser: Can business be a force for good?

Published:  28 April, 2023

I was thrilled to read of a recent initiative by The Wine Society, not just because I am a member, but because it speaks volumes about how they approach their business.

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UK's leading restaurants nudge back into the black

Published:  09 January, 2023

Research unveiled by accountancy group UHY Hacker Young shows that the UK's top 100 restaurants returned to profitability in 2022, after four years of consecutive losses.

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Jerry Lockspeiser: On Jeremy Clarkson, margins and the ‘middleman’ dog whistle

Published:  22 December, 2021

In case anyone missed it, Jeremy Clarkson has recently launched his own beer brand, Hawkstone. The lager is made with barley grown on his Cotswolds farm. Exposed to the workings of the supply chain, Clarkson was reportedly aghast at the difference between the £205 per tonne he received for his barley and the £580 paid by the brewers to the middleman.

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Jerry Lockspeiser: Can we trade our way out of this mess?

Published:  28 October, 2021

Sitting in reception at one of the UK’s biggest supermarkets waiting for the wine buyer to appear for our appointment, I flicked through my newspaper. When he arrived, I hurriedly stuffed the paper into my briefcase, but not before the buyer had caught sight of it. “Ah, you are one of those are you?” he said, having identified my copy of The Guardian.

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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.

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Rémy Cointreau loses top boss

Published:  11 July, 2019

Valérie Chapoulaud-Floquet, chief executive at Rémy Cointreau, has announced she will be leaving the company at the end of the year, citing personal reasons.

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Rigging the game

Published:  06 November, 2018

Less is often more when it comes to turning a profit says consultant Sean Finter, a master at optimising returns from on-trade businesses. Harpers tuned in to his message at Bar Convent in Berlin. 

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Berry Bros & Rudd sees sales rise

Published:  17 September, 2018

Berry Bros & Rudd (BBR) has seen sales rise by £16M, for the year ending 31 March 2018.

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Bibendum and Matthew Clark owner C&C Group reports drop in profit

Published:  16 May, 2018

C&C Group has reported a drop in full-year net revenue and profit with sales hit by severe weather in the second half.

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Not too big to fail: Where it all went wrong for Conviviality

Published:  06 April, 2018

With annual sales of £1.6bn and shares flying high at 425p each on the stock market at the end of 2017, Conviviality seemed to be more than keeping its head above water in the choppy seas of today’s difficult trading environment.

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Cold weather turns into pressure cooker for high street stores

Published:  23 March, 2018

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Sales almost double at Conviviality

Published:  25 May, 2017
Conviviality, the owner of Bargain Booze, has seen sales nearly double in the past year to pass the £1.5bn mark. 
  
The independent alcohol wholesaler and distributor, which agreed a £60m deal to acquire wine, spirit and beer distributor Bibendum in May last year, said sales were up from £841m to £1.56bn in a trading statement released this morning (52 w/e to 30 April, 2017).


Net debt was £99 million – “comfortably below” Conviviality’s target, it said, adding the positive results were in line with the board’s expectations.
    

The integration of Bibendum, together with wine wholesaler Matthew Clark which it bought in 2015, was “progressing well”, said chief executive, Diana Hunter.  


"Our focus will continue to be on improving the business and ensuring that benefits are realised from our greater scale, as we drive efficiencies for the group and greater service for our customers.”

Conviviality, which re-organised its activities into three business units during the year – Direct, Retail and Trading, reported growth for each, with sales up 6.4%, 6.1% and 1% respectively. 

"We have come to the end of an unprecedented year of change and I am pleased to report a strong trading performance for the group and for each of its business units,” said Hunter.
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