Kiwi Cru an online retailer and events company dedicated to the promotion of wines from New Zealand has been launched in the UK. The new project is spearheaded by founder Pippa Wood, an entrepeneur who has held past roles at Berry Bros. & Rudd and Bolney Wine Estate.
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Bicester-based importer North South Wines has announced the appointment of two new team members. Holly Ninnes (pictured, left) joins in the newly created role of commercial buyer, with Mark Juggins (right) stepping in as the company’s latest head of off-trade. The new additions are part of a wider five-year growth strategy which seeks to expand the business’s commercial footprint.
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Colchester-headquartered independent drinks manufacturer and distributor Riviera Drinks has announced the acquisition of Soho Street Cocktails, a ready-made cocktail brand.
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Reserve Wines’ willingness to keep things fresh and adapt in an ever-evolving wine market has meant accolades and praise have continued to come the Manchester-based merchant’s way. When one digs a little deeper, decoding why the Harpers 50 Best Indies 2025 winner has continued to succeed is fairly simple.
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Condor Wines, the independent South American specialist importer, has partnered with the Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA) to launch a new membership package, designed specifically for independent merchants.
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Importers face a fine balancing act heading into 2025, continuing to present a diverse, well-priced portfolio offer while being beset by the cost shocks of duty rises, EPR and National Insurance rises, to name just a few. For specialist importers of South American wine navigating this puzzle can feel notably headache-inducing, particularly because naturally high-abv wines such as Argentinian Malbecs will be harder hit by duty changes. This is a challenge as these wines’ very taste and style can rely upon this higher alcohol content.
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A new strategic plan from Naked Wines has been announced by the online retailer, including the aspiration of reaching £10-15m annual earnings before earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in the medium term.
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Virgin Wines, one of the UK’s leading online wine retailers, has announced a new growth strategy which aims to increase the company’s yearly revenue to £100m within five years. This would represent a substantial increase as the retailer's revenue for the 2024 financial year stood at £59m.
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Rum officially broke the £1bn sales barrier in the UK in 2018, just one year after gin, while riding high on a reputation for being a bartending favourite and the high-energy drink that takes partying to the next level.
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C&C Group, the drinks manufacturer-distributor whose ownership portfolio includes Matthew Clark Bibendum, Tennent’s Lager and Bulmer’s cider, saw its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) increase to €76-78mn for the 12 months ending 28 February 2025. This compares to €60mn for the same period the previous year.
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An emerging global data picture courtesy of the IWSR shows that wine sales are diverging from that of spirits, beer and ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, as alcohol spend around the world continues to lag behind disposable income.
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As the usual business headwinds seemingly turn to a howling gale, we once again
ask the independent merchants’ sector for their take on what the year ahead holds.
Félix Solís saw growth among a number of its brands within the UK market in 2024. This included an impressive +85.3% volume increase for its Mucho Más wine brand, according to figures from Nielsen MAT.
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Bodega Argento, one of Argentina’s leading wine producers, has entered a new distribution agreement with Freixenet Copestick in a bid to strengthen its presence in the UK market. The partnership, set to commence on 1 January 2025, will see Freixenet Copestick take on the distribution of Bodega Argento’s premium wine range across the UK.
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Freixenet Copestick has entered a strategic partnership with Spain’s Zamora Company to distribute its wines in the UK and Northern Ireland, starting from 1 September 2024.
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In the second of our spring indie surveys, Andrew Catchpole invited feedback on service and the foibles of the punter.
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The Good Wine Shop has expanded to a fifth site, taking over a former Oddbins site in St Margarets, Twickenham.
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C&C Group has appointed Harriet Kininmonth to the newly created position of wine trading director.
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Flint Wines has signed a deal as the UK distributor of New Zealand estate, Huia Vineyards.
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Online beer, wine and spirits (BWS) sales soared the week commencing 27 June as England prepared to play Germany for a place in Euro 2020.
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