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Customers boost online retailer sales but fulfillment concerns remain

Specialist wine retailers are reporting booming online wine sales as customers turn to online delivery, but there are some concerns about maintaining fulfilment. Tom Ashworth, CEO of Yapp Brothers said the Wiltshire-based wine merchant had seen its busiest week online since Christmas. Sales were up 70% organically compared to the previous year, without any additional marketing to achieve it and paidsearch traffic (ie traffic coming from google ads) was up 100% on last year. “Last week’s online activity was much more dramatic than normal and we saw some quite hefty orders,”...

Drinks Revolution: Spiritrade shakes up the drinks industry

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Spiritrade boss Jimmy Metta tells db about the firm smashing its first-year growth expectations by 300%, and shaking things up in the industry with the launch of the secure global drinks marketplace LAUNCHED IN March 2019, new kid on the block, Spiritrade, has proved to be adept at shaking up the drinks marketplace. This was a key aim of founder Jimmy Metta, whose previous successes include luxury drinks wholesaler Vanquish and online drinks retailer 31Dover.com. The global drinks trading platform for spirits, beer, Champagne and non- alcoholic beverages now boasts a membership of...

Many More Mandatory On-Premise Closings; The Rise of the Neo-Speakeasy?

Posted in Beer, Industry.

Dear Client: By now, over 20 states have all announced the closure of bars and restaurants in wake of COVID-19, while still allowing carryout and delivery. That list includes: California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Illinois Indiana Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota New Hampshire New Jersey New York Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont Washington And D.C. Notably, some of those states mentioned above are offering up solutions to these on-premise establishments during this temporary shutdown. As Wine & Spirits Daily reported yesterday, the Distilled...

Coronavirus briefing: All UK hospitality companies to pay no business rates for a year

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the business rates holiday announced in last week’s budget to cover all businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector. Speaking at the government’s daily coronavirus briefing today (17 March), Sunak reiterated the message that the government would do “whatever it takes” to deal with Covid-19 outbreak. He acknowledge that some sectors were facing “particularly acute challenges” and meetings would be held in the coming dates to “identify other specific opportunities to support them and their industries,...

London wine club 67 Pall Mall to remain open, quoting Churchill

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Despite the escalating Covid-19 crisis in London, private members’ wine club 67 Pall Mall has today announced its decision to stay open with rousing words from wartime British statesman Winston Churchill. In an email sent to all members by 67 Pall Mall founder and CEO Grant Ashton, it was stated that in was in both the interests of the club’s customers and its staff to stay open. Ashton wrote, “We believe that our two foremost responsibilities as a business is to you, our members, and our duty of care to our staff by keeping them all fully employed.” Having acknowledged...

California, New York, Illinois, Ohio, Massachusetts, Washington, and Indiana Shut Down On-Premise

Posted in Beer, Industry.

Dear Client: Your editor told the Chicago Tribune on Friday that this past weekend would be crucial in telling the tale of how the coronavirus has and will affect the beer industry, particularly on-premise, and indeed the worm has turned. It’s worse than we thought. Much worse. The dam broke on Sunday afternoon on the Ides of March, as Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker ordered all restaurants and bars across the state to be closed to dine-in customers until at least March 30. Delivery and drive up will remain open. This will be effective end-of-business tonight. Ohio Governor...

Boris Johnson tells UK to avoid bars and restaurants and ‘has powers’ to enforce closure

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

People in the UK have been told to avoid social contact, work from home and stay away from pubs and bars in an effort to slow down the rise of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that the UK could be approaching the “fast growth of the upward curve” of confirmed coronavirus cases, which now means cases are expected to double every five days, unless “drastic action” can be taken. Although he said the government would not enforce the closure of theatres, restaurants, pubs and bars, it has “the powers if necessary” to do so. Addressing...

The show goes on: New products that would’ve launched at ProWein

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Despite ProWein’s cancellation due to the ongoing threat posed by coronavirus (Covid-19), business in the trade goes on, even though the show on this occasion has not. Here’s db’s rundown of products that were due to be launched at ProWein this week and the alternative plans producers are having to make to showcase them. Digital seems to be the way forward, as producers scamble to get their new launches in front of customers and clients, but as one exhibitor said, “We’re working with our clients as best we can – by video conference and email – to try...

Michigan Summons A-B to Testify at Hearing

Posted in Beer, Industry.

Dear Client: Yesterday we brought you news that Anheuser-Busch was allegedly running afoul of newly passed laws in Michigan under the Distributor Independence Act. That Act, passed last fall, basically prohibits suppliers from making onerous demands or prohibitions on their distributors. Now, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission is involved. Yesterday it issued a “show cause” … Continue reading “Michigan Summons A-B to Testify at Hearing” You are unauthorized to view this page. Read the full article

Wines from Spain annual trade tasting postponed

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Wines from Spain has announced it will postpone its annual trade tasting in London. The event, which was meant to take place at London’s Sky Garden on 31 March, will be moved to a later date. More than 60 leading importers and exporters were due to present their Spanish wine portfolios to the British trade including a selection of the latest vintages and releases available to the UK market. Fernando Muñoz, director at Wines from Spain, said the industry body had been monitoring the evolution of the Coronavirus outbreak in the UK and in Spain in the run-up to the end of the month. “Whilst...

Category: Beer