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Brits’ love of online wine buying continues

Online sales of wine in the UK in 2015 topped £800 million, which represents nearly 11% of the overall British wine market, new figures reveal.

(Photo: Pixabay)

The stats, based on a survey conducted by Wine Intelligence, show that 25% (7.4 million) of the UK’s 29.6 million regular wine drinkers ordered wine on the internet last year, spending £7 per bottle on average.

Market researchers are predicting that British online wine sales will continue to grow in the next three years to 14% of the country’s overall market.

By comparison, this same segment represents just 4% of the US wine market.

As with other products, the internet is today a preferred source of information for all topics related to wine.

In the last five years, the number of consumers searching online for information about wine rose by 28% to 17.2 million, Wine Intelligence said.

The number posting about or otherwise discussing wine online almost doubled (+90%) in the same period.

The Wine Intelligence study found that British online wine buyers tend to be younger and express an above-average interest in wine. What they most appreciated in online purchasing is the convenience, including for delivery.

Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon were the most frequently purchased red wines consumed by British online wine buyers in 2015.

UPDATE: 21/04/16
A previous version of this story included mistaken sales figures from the German Wine Institute. These have now been removed.

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