NZ attracts ‘dream shopper’ in UK

New Zealand wines appeal to the “dream shopper” in the UK, and pulls in customers that rivals “would kill for”, according to Jane Robertson, category development director at Accolade Wines.

“The New Zealand shopper is far more affluent as a group than you find for any other wine origin,” commented Robertson during a press briefing on New Zealand and Australian wine sales in the UK last month.

Using data from Kantar Worldpanel – featured below – Robertson showed that not only is the buyer of New Zealand wine in UK retailers richer than the customer for any other country of origin, but also younger than for all other nations except for the US.

“The US is the only country of origin to have a younger demographic than New Zealand,” she said, adding, “The New Zealand wine buyer is a dream shopper: young, knowledgeable and willing to spend money… any other country of origin would kill for this.”

Looking at figures for the category, she recorded that New Zealand was also the best selling country of origin in the UK off-trade between £7 and £7.99, with an average price of £7.27, well above the figure for totals wines, which is currently £5.41.

“Will the New Zealand bubble burst?” she asked, before revealing statistics to show that the UK shopper’s demand for Sauvignon Blanc – which accounts for 72% of the country’s production – is still increasing.

“The thirst for Sauvignon isn’t abating: it has 11.4% value share of total wine, it’s growing at 13.5%, and it’s the number one variety,” she said, quoting off-trade Nielsen numbers for 2014.

For New Zealand specifically, 84% of value sales in UK retail are accounted for by Sauvignon Blanc, which is growing at 12%.

Nevertheless, Robertson said that the country wasn’t a “one trick pony”, producing figures to show that New Zealand Pinot Noir sales in UK retailers were up 12%, while value sales of Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris were increasing by 41% and 46% respectively.

Concluding she said, “New Zealand is enjoying volume and value growth, there is no sign of it losing popularity.”

Meanwhile, on a video link from New Zealand, Ben Glover, who is head winemaker for the Mud House Wine Group – which was acquired by Accolade Wines in November 2013 – described this year’s vintage as a “winemakers’ crop”, with “good flavours” but a “lighter load” than last year’s record-breaking harvest.

The New Zealand shopper is far more affluent as a group than you find for any other wine origin