IWSR acquires Wine Intelligence

Drinks market analyst the IWSR has acquired London-based wine consumer research and insights specialist Wine Intelligence for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in 2002, Wine Intelligence conducts projects on behalf of wine businesses in over 35 global wine markets.

On acquiring the company, the IWSR aims to build a “world-class” consumer behaviour division focused exclusively on the global drinks industry.

“As Covid-19 reshapes consumer behaviour and beverage alcohol drinking occasions, industry stakeholders are looking for a deeper understanding of the consumer attitudes driving the market,” said Mark Meek, CEO of IWSR.

“Our vision is shaped by our clients, and this acquisition is a tremendous opportunity for us to expand on our existing offerings and work with the Wine Intelligence team to provide the industry with access to comprehensive consumer insight across all categories of the drinks industry, including beer, wine, spirits and the ready-to-drink sector,” he added.

This acquisition follows a decade-long relationship between the IWSR and Wine Intelligence.

Recent collaborations include the IWSR Covid-19 Consumer Tracker, an in-depth consumer sentiment research report series tracking the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on the consumption of and attitude towards alcohol over an 18-month period.

“We are delighted to join the IWSR family after nearly 10 years of our organisations partnering on behalf of our client base,” said Lulie Halstead, CEO of Wine Intelligence.

“I share Mark’s vision of us building a world-class and comprehensive offering of data and consumer insights to support the global beverage alcohol sectors, which we are uniquely positioned to do,” she added.

The IWSR’s database quantifies the global market of wine, spirits, beer, cider and RTDs by volume and value in 160 countries, and provides insight into short- and long-term trends, tracking consumption and trends at brand, price segment and category level.