In the second instalment of our summer survey series, we asked independent drinks retailers about the trends they were noticing in store.  Overwhelmingly, the majority of retailers responded that there was a growing appetite for consumer-facing events, allowing independents to differentiate themselves from supermarkets.  In terms of product growth, the standout category among retailers was still wine, with 58% of…

Waitrose has revealed four key drinks trends from the past year in its Food and Drink Report 2024-25…  Zebra striping  The supermarket Waitrose found more drinkers are taking part in zebra-striping when it comes to alcohol – the concept of alternating between an alcoholic drink and a non-alcoholic one.   Head of beer wine and spirits, Pierpaolo Petrassi…

Direct-to-consumer sales made up half of all English and Welsh wine purchases in 2020, according to new research from WineGB. The trade organisation’s CEO, Simon Thorpe MW, said that overall sales in 2020 rose by 30% to reach 7.1m bottles. Within that, 22% of sales were made via winery websites, while 28% were made at the cellar door. Thorpe said: “We’re such a young industry…

Beyond Wines has launched a “first for the wine industry” with a new wine launch that focused on the social media savvy 18-35 year-old market. Liquid Diamond has been created by two of the senior team who helped bring the I Heart wine brand to the mainstream consumer. Alex Green and Matt Johnson founded Beyond Wines in 2020 and Liquid Diamond is their first “pillar…

Amfora London is bringing a range of wines in cans to the UK market. The wines, which come from Northern Italy and the US West Coast, include a selection of white, red, rose and sparkling options in 25cl cans. The company will start by launching seven wines from two wineries. The wines from the US West Coast come from West + Wilder, while Scarpetta, which…

The CIVP (Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence) has revealed plans for a UK communications campaign for 2021. The campaign will focus on three main areas for Provence Rose, starting with a focus on the stylistic diversity of Provence’s three appellations: Cotes de Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence and Coteaux Varois en Provence. The second areas will be the premiumisation of Vins de Provence’s iconic image and…

Majestic Wine is expanding its partnership with Deliveroo, adding 54 new stores and bringing the total to 137 stores across the UK. The Majestic partnership is now Deliveroo’s largest wine business tie-up and fastest wine business roll-out after adding 104 new stores this year. The full range on the Deliveroo app now covers 55 products and is available from 137 different Majestic locations across the…