Call me a pessimist and optimist! Supermarkets operate on standardisation, brands, and just-in-time supply chains, which unfortunately, leaves little room for smaller producers and unique varieties. Supermarket shelves are valuable real estate that are either reserved for those products they know will sell in volume, or those who are willing to pay to be there. It's the harsh reality which won't be changing...
So, here lies the opportunity for specialists, indies and online. Customers want experiences, variety and good quality. The challenge for these smaller retailers is appealing to a wider audience, providing good value and genuine service. Supermarkets just want you to buy (along with your eggs and bread), they're not interested in providing an education or specialised service, and there is no incentive to do so. The only supermarkets who buck this trend are Aldi & Lidl, as they are not tied to any brands and can order in smaller parcels that they can sell for a low price.
However, if wine is to grow and become beloved by more people, the future growth surely lies beyond the supermarket shelves.
I totally agree with you Jordan, as I also sit somewhere between all three and verging on the Hopeful category.
As Luke points out, wine - rather like sherry before it in the era of the Enva Cream Ladies - risks being seen as outmoded unless it adapts to modern consumer preferences and needs.
While craft beers, cocktails and lo- and no beverages appeal to a younger, more adventurous audience, wine offerings often remain very much entrenched in tradition. This disconnect, combined with rigid pricing and complex tasting notes, alienates potential consumers looking for something more accessible or on trend.
To stay relevant, I feel strongly that the wine trade needs to continue innovating — emphasizing sustainability, convenience (e.g cans or single-serves) and flavour profile adaptation , much like FMCG brands that continuously evolve to meet shifting demand.
You are spot on the now is the ideal time for independents and niche offerings to triumph by talking in plain language rather than jargon, providing accessible food pairing suggestions for relevance and embracing the sommelier fine art of storytelling to really bring the wine to life for newer generations.
As David Pinchard, former Director of Dienhard and Avery’s once remarked “Wine is travel in a bottle” … an adventure and it should be fun and enjoyable, rather than entrenched in technicalities and spin!
Call me a pessimist and optimist! Supermarkets operate on standardisation, brands, and just-in-time supply chains, which unfortunately, leaves little room for smaller producers and unique varieties. Supermarket shelves are valuable real estate that are either reserved for those products they know will sell in volume, or those who are willing to pay to be there. It's the harsh reality which won't be changing...
So, here lies the opportunity for specialists, indies and online. Customers want experiences, variety and good quality. The challenge for these smaller retailers is appealing to a wider audience, providing good value and genuine service. Supermarkets just want you to buy (along with your eggs and bread), they're not interested in providing an education or specialised service, and there is no incentive to do so. The only supermarkets who buck this trend are Aldi & Lidl, as they are not tied to any brands and can order in smaller parcels that they can sell for a low price.
However, if wine is to grow and become beloved by more people, the future growth surely lies beyond the supermarket shelves.
I totally agree with you Jordan, as I also sit somewhere between all three and verging on the Hopeful category.
As Luke points out, wine - rather like sherry before it in the era of the Enva Cream Ladies - risks being seen as outmoded unless it adapts to modern consumer preferences and needs.
While craft beers, cocktails and lo- and no beverages appeal to a younger, more adventurous audience, wine offerings often remain very much entrenched in tradition. This disconnect, combined with rigid pricing and complex tasting notes, alienates potential consumers looking for something more accessible or on trend.
To stay relevant, I feel strongly that the wine trade needs to continue innovating — emphasizing sustainability, convenience (e.g cans or single-serves) and flavour profile adaptation , much like FMCG brands that continuously evolve to meet shifting demand.
You are spot on the now is the ideal time for independents and niche offerings to triumph by talking in plain language rather than jargon, providing accessible food pairing suggestions for relevance and embracing the sommelier fine art of storytelling to really bring the wine to life for newer generations.
As David Pinchard, former Director of Dienhard and Avery’s once remarked “Wine is travel in a bottle” … an adventure and it should be fun and enjoyable, rather than entrenched in technicalities and spin!