Retail news: Italy needs independents
Italian producers must target the UK’s independent sector in order to succeed in the competitive off-trade market, according to speakers at the “Italy Today, Italy Tomorrow†seminar held in London in May, writes Tom Bruce-Gardyne.
Tony Brown MW, head of Meridian Wines, said: “The majority of Italian producers really have no alternative if they want to get into the UK off-trade, because their wines are simply not saleable anywhere else. The only exception would be mail-order.†Brown added that independents should champion countries like Italy in order to make a statement about what they stand for. “Otherwise they are going to lose their customers to the supermarkets.â€
Meanwhile Simon Thorpe MW, buyer at Western Wines and formerly Waitrose, gave a grim assessment of Italy in the supermarkets. He laid the blame squarely on a failure of Italy to create brands.
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Interestingly, Wines of New Zealand has been targeting the independent sector while the Spanish Wine Action Group (SWAG) has formed a sub-committee with the specific aim of promoting Spanish wines in independents.
© db July 2006
