Action Week 2: Call to indies to lobby local MP and media for a Drop in Duty

Harpers is today calling on independent wine merchants across the UK to lobby both their MP and local media to back the Drop the Duty campaign and help raise the profile of their business on this key business issue.

Profile: Bottle Apostle

Bottle Apostle is one of the new breed of independent wine merchants hitting well-heeled high streets across the country. Both cool and quirky, it has its sights set on young and affluent customers, as Helen Arnold discovers

10 Top Tips for suppliers on how to work better with independent wine merchants

Tim Carlisle, consultant and formerly of wine merchant businesses, Slurp and SH Jones, offers 10 Tips to suppliers on how they could work more effectively with independent wine merchants as part of Harpers' ongoing March for the Independents campaign.

12 ways indies can work better with suppliers says Les Grands Chais de France

A growing list of major wine suppliers and producers are now seriously looking to work closer and more effectively with independent wine merchants. Here Tim North, UK director for Les Grands Chais de France, one of the largest French wine producers with estates in all the main wine growing regions, offers his advice to merchants on how to buy and then market and sell their wines. Les Grands Chais de France is one of the partner suppliers behind the March for the Independents campaign.

10 tips for merchants to improve buying and selling skills for March for the Independents

As part of Harpers ongoing March for the Independents campaign Angela Mount, former head wine buyer for Somerfield and now retail and management consultant for the wine trade, offers her Top 10 tips on how she thinks independent wine merchants can improve their buying and selling skills.

Merchants urged to get suppliers to sign Best Practice Guidelines for March for Independents

Today Harpers is calling on independent wine merchants across the country to help get their suppliers fully behind the sector by signing up to Harpers' Best Practice Guidelines,  set up to try and ensure relations between independents and suppliers are as effective as possible.

Action Week 1 - Getting the most out of your suppliers

Harpers March for the Independents campaign kicks off with retailer survey

Today marks the official start of Harpers March for the Independents campaign which over the next month will put the spotlight firmly on the needs and trading issues facing independent wine merchants.

Copestick Murray to distribute advertising mogul Sir John Hegarty's wines

Copestick Murray was inspired by Bartle Bogle Hegarty co-founder Sir John Hegarty's 'no holds barred' keynote speech at the WSTA conference last year to sign a distribution deal for his wines in the UK and Ireland.

March for the Independents campaign to put spotlight on wine merchants

Today Harpers is officially launching its most ambitious project yet to support and promote independent wine merchants. Here's how you can get involved in March for the Independents

Independent wine merchants celebrate festive fillip

Independent wine merchants across the country are toasting a cracking December, with sales up across the board.

2014 Review and Hopes and Fears for 2015: Cambridge Wine Company's Hal Wilson

Hal Wilson, managing director of independent merchant Cambridge Wine Company, gives us the low-down on opening a new wine bar, Cahors wines making a comeback and why he's watching this space with Philglas & Swiggot.

Borough Wines opens sixth shop in London

Independent merchant Borough Wines has opened its sixth London  shop, this time in Clerkenwell.

Good Wine Shop opens third outlet

Independent merchant the Good Wine Shop is opening a third branch - this time in Surrey's Esher - with plans for up to two more outlets in the pipeline.

Hallgarten launches Wine Heroes campaign for independent merchants

Hallgarten Driuitt & Novum has launched Wine Heroes - a campaign tailored to independent wine merchants offering winemaker visits, bespoke POS materials and discounted pricing to help engage consumers.

Hallgarten launches Wine Heroes campaign for independents

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum has launched Wine Heroes - a campaign tailored to independent wine merchants offering winemaker visits, bespoke POS materials and discounted pricing to help engage consumers.

France study tour: Les Grands Chais de France

French wine is the lifeblood of a good independent business. But as the five top merchants who joined Harpers on a recent tour with Les Grands Chais de France discovered, there is still much to learn, even for the most experienced retailer. Richard Siddle reports

Les Grand Chais de France backs independents by signing up to Best Practice Guidelines

French wine producer, Les Grand Chais de France, is the biggest wine name to show its commitment to the independent merchant sector by signing up to the Harpers Best Practice Guidelines that oversee how producers and suppliers are working in the independent sector.

Treasury Wine Estates presents its independent strategy to Top Merchants

Treasury Wine Estates is one of a number of major wine companies looking to build sales in the independent sector. Its fine wine team joined the latest Independent Wine Crew meeting to set out its strategy and find out how it can better serve the sector. Richard Siddle and Erin Smith report

Working together: leading independent merchants pool their skills and resources

The third meeting of Harpers' Independent Wine Crew of leading multi-site wine merchants reflected a real step-change in how they are able to help each other in buying, sourcing and storing wine. Richard Siddle and Erin Smith report