Boxed wine sales on the rise in Australia

Australians have developed a thirst for boxed wine during lockdown, which has resulted in a 21% surge in sales of the convenient, affordable format.

As reported by The Guardian, in the four weeks to 5 April 2020, boxed wine sales in the Australian retail market rose by 21% according to IRI Market Edge. BiB sales had grown by just 1% the previous month, and were in decline in Australia prior to that.

“Consumers are discovering the value that cask wines offer, and are surprised at the quality of the wines,” De Bortoli’s managing director, Darren De Bortoli, told Guardian Australia, noting that aficionados were embracing the boxed wine trend.

“Obviously with Covid you’ve got people being very careful with their money,” he added.

The uptick in boxed wine sales is likely down to the affordability and convenience of the format – most boxed wines stay fresh for a month after being opened, meaning less wine waste.

“What we see is households where one person likes red and the other likes white. It means you can have your preferred variety and drink it over of a number of days,” Nick Waterman, managing director at Yalumba, told Guardian Australia.

As reported by The Guardian, the fastest-growing price point for wines being sold in Australia at the moment is the AU$6-10 bracket, with sales up in that segment by almost a third, while the AU$50 and above bracket saw declines.

Online wine sales are also on the rise in Australia, with consumers showing increased support for small local producers.