Supermarkets in the UK saw a significant boost in customer visits and spending ahead of Christmas compared to previous years, with own-label lines in particular seeing strong growth, the latest data from Kantar has revealed.  In the four weeks ending December 24, around £1.48 billion was spent nationwide on branded beer, wine and spirits – up 1.9% from last year. Meanwhile, shoppers spent…

Sales of beer, wine and spirits have risen slightly as inflation slows and shoppers gear up for Christmas, according to the latest figures from NIQ. The NIQ Total Till sales report for the past four weeks ending November 4 2023 noted a modest 2.3% growth in BWS compared to the same time period last year. Overall sales across all categories in UK supermarkets…

Several trade organisations have called on the chancellor to cancel the planned increase in alcohol duty when he delivers the Autumn Statement on November 22. Businesses have urged Jeremy Hunt to keep his promise to “halve inflation” by freezing duty. In an open letter, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), UK Spirits Alliance (UKSA), English Whisky Guild (EWG) and Wine & Spirits Trade Association (WSTA) have…

Trade associations have welcomed a fall in inflation rates, but warned that both businesses and consumers continue to face challenges. The UK inflation rate fell to 7.9% in June, down from 8.7% in May, driven by a drop in motor fuel prices. The Office for National Statistics said that food prices rose in June 2023, but by less than in June 2022, also leading to…

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association has called on the government to scrap duty hikes and “avoid prohibitive price rises, which will further fuel inflation”. With a month to go until new duty measures come into force, the WSTA said there is still time to scrap duty hikes. WSTA chief executive Miles Beale said: “We are careering towards an extremely tough period for wine and…

The CEO of The Wine Society has said the company will hold prices after the government’s alcohol duty changes come into play this August. Steve Finlan said on LinkedIn that the changes, which include duty reform and inflation, will add 54p to a bottle of wine, a cost the company will absorb until October. And as part of the initiative, the CEO…

Sales of beer, wine and spirits in supermarkets have dropped over the past four weeks, as consumers rein in post-Christmas spending. Figures released by NielsenIQ for the four weeks to January 28 show a -4.7% dip in value sales for BWS, while volumes are down -8.5%. Overall, Total Till grocery sales rose +7.6%, owing to food price inflation. Volume sales in the four weeks were…