Festive Success for the Trade Brings a Brighter Outlook
Posted on Thu 18th Feb 2016 at 14:20
Many on and off trade retailers are cautiously optimistic for the year ahead after a strong performance on Christmas sales.
Trade analysts suggest that this is largely due to a recovering economy and comparatively strong pound, both of which are leading consumers to once again think about splashing out on wines and spirits. This bodes very well for the rest of 2016, but there are caveats: although consumers might have more disposable income, the recession has taught them to be more cautious when making larger purchases. While this may seem like a threat to business, it can in fact be an opportunity, particularly for independent retailers. This is because independents tend to have more time to put across the story behind the wine, and more face-to-face time with which to educate consumers in a wine’s value. Philip Amps of Amps Fine Wines told Harpers’ Magazine that “We need to educate to quantity and not quality, finding interesting wines that the big boys cannot, and do this by education through tastings, exploring new regions, being proactive”. One region that provides excellent quality and value for money is Eastern Europe. Here there is an ancient culture of winemaking and some truly exceptional local grape varieties, yet because the wines are relatively unknown they do not command the same price tag as those from the more traditional old world regions. We believe that Macedonian wine has a lot to offer to UK consumers, as does Jancis Robinson who is a fan of the Stobi winery! If you’d like to arrange a tasting or discuss how Macedonian wines might appeal to your customers, please call us today on 0845 370 2255.