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.”

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.

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