Festive Champagne price war begins

Morrisons has kicked off the 2010 pre-Christmas Champagne deal frenzy by slashing the price on certain grandes marques to as little as £13 per bottle.

The UK supermarket’s discount deals, which include Taittinger, Piper Heidsieck and Lanson, will feature for as long as stocks last and with a maximum restriction of three bottles per purchase.

As part of the deal, the supermarket will sell:
Piper Heidsieck Brut NV for £13.14 (originally £26.29)
Taittinger Brut NV for £16.91 (£33.82)
Heidsieck Monopole Gold Top Vintage for £14.99 (£29.99)
Lanson Black Label Brut NV for £14.74 (£29.49), and,
Lanson Rosé NV for £16.74 (£33.49)

The Champagne house representatives who were contacted by the drinks business were not available for comment on Morrison’s deals.

Such severe discounting is already having an impact on those responsible for listing Champagnes in different parts of the retail scene, as Tim French, Champagne buyer for department store Fortnum & Mason confirmed to the drinks business last week.

He said: “Champagne discounting is clearly damaging to Champagne as a whole. But it’s a drug that once you start it’s very hard to stop.

“This see-saw pricing is not helpful. From my position, it makes me more sensitive to listing grandes marques because I can’t run a business of heavy discounting.

“I would like to see more sensible consistent pricing and for those houses that do continually discount heavily, I’m going to struggle to get behind them,” he added.

Jane Parkinson, 15.11.2010