Champagne sells 4m fewer bottles in the UK in 2017

Sales of Champagne in UK retailers fell by 20% in 2017, and the total British market for the fizz has shrunk by around four million bottles in the past 12 months.

According to Nielsen, the volume of Champagne sold in the UK until the end of December (MAT to 30.12.17) suffered a 20% decline in volume and 11% fall in value, bringing the amount of bottles sold through UK retailers down from 16.7m in 2016 to 13.3m in 2017.

While this reflects a decline of 3.4m bottles, sales in the on-trade also fell during 2017, with Champagne volumes in chain restaurants and pubs down 12% (MAT to the end of September), leading Julien Lonneux, CEO of Vranken Pommery UK, to suggest that Champagne….