The 2023 Drinks Retailing Awards celebrated a range of dynamic supermarkets, convenience chains and regional stores, all of which are championing drinks and helping the off-trade thrive.  Supermarket of the Year winner, Marks & Spencer, had a highly successful year, securing two other awards for its outstanding range: Multiple Wine Retailer of the Year and Multiple RTD Retailer of the Year. Turning to other…

The 2023 Drinks Retailing Awards was host to an array of innovative and forward-thinking independent retailers that are transforming the off-trade for the better. From up and coming newbies to established drinks retailers, the DRAs highlighted some of the most outstanding independents in the country.  York-based retailer Field & Fawcett was crowned Independent Drinks Retailer of the Year for its high-quality offerings across the…

Last year, Craig Clarkson moved from Heineken to become off-trade director at C&C Group. He talks to Lucy Britner about premiumisation, the power of convenience and the road to Deposit Return Schemes From Magnums to Magners, Craig Clarkson has a long history in FMCG. He started in the industry on the Bass graduate programme where he worked on Britvic and the Robinsons and Pepsi…

It’s the start of a new year. Many of us are in the midst of Dry January or a New Year’s resolution to cut back on alcohol. Though this can have varying degrees of success, the spotlight often falls on the low and no-alcohol category at this time of year.  Walking around supermarkets from early January onwards you can see several end-of-aisle fixtures…

Cutting down and cutting out is increasingly big business in the drinks industry. Lucy Britner looks at the key stats and trends for low and no in 2023 Almost 9 million drinkers are said to be taking a month off booze this January. According to new research by Alcohol Change UK, the charity behind Dry January, that number is around 1…

The first issue of the year is out now, featuring insights from nine industry experts on what to expect from 2023 (pages 31 – 40). And with less than a month to go until this year’s Drinks Retailing Awards, we announce the full list of this year’s finalists (20 – 28). Amid Dry January activations, YesMore examines whether low/no has broken out of…

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show a slight fall in the annual rate of inflation, from 10.7% in the year to November to 10.5% in December. The CPIH ­­­– the Consumer Prices Index including housing costs – showed a fall in alcohol and tobacco inflation from 4.2% in November to 3.8% in December. Average alcohol and tobacco prices actually fell in December,…