32|Retail News|March 2012|www.retailnews.ie
On the Vine
France’s
Bon Chance Retailers who are serious about selling wine need to make sure they have even a small range of quality French wines on their shelves, writes Jean Smullen. THE sale of French wine on the Irish market has remained steadily consistent during the last 25 years. The latest figures to September 2011 show France in third place, holding 12.6% of all volume sales in a total market of 8.7m cases annually. French wine still has a cachet with the consumer. The mantra “if it’s French, it must be good” is one that still comes across loud and clear. While for everyday drinking, most consumers will buy at an entry level price point, when it comes to special occasions, they trade up and nine times out of 10, it is to France that they turn.
Benchmark Styles
So why do French wines appeal and what is the trade doing about it? French wine styles are the benchmark that so many other countries try to emulate. French grape varieties are planted all over the wine world. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah have become ‘brand
names’ in their own right, but most people don’t realise that they are in fact French grape varieties. The wine retailer who wants to offer something different to his customer ignores French wines at their peril. In recent months, I travelled around Ireland, visiting wine shops. It was interesting to see many retailers prominently displaying Australia, New Zealand, Chile and South Africa in clearly defined specific shelving areas, but had French wine lumped in the same shelves with wines from Spain, Portugal and Italy. I had to ask myself how did this happen? How has the once mighty France been reduced to a shelf labelled ‘European Wine’?
The Value of Education
Price is the key, that and the fact that French wines tend to be labelled by the name of the region or appellation, or by the name of the producer, which means very little to the average consumer. So how do we address this?
How do we add value and make our customer aware of their classic wine styles? Education is the key, that and enthusiastic staff who know what they are selling. What’s in it for the retailer? Higher margins, that’s what. If the consumer wants to trade up and the product is not available, then the sale (and the profit) is lost. Retailers who are serious about selling wine need to be aware of this and need to make sure they have even a small range of quality French wines on their shelves. Irish consumers have less disposable income available to spend on treats and luxuries, but as the economy eventually recovers, these treat purchases will increase. Now is the time for the retailer to makes sure they have a small but carefully selected range of French quality wines. The retailer who does not do this is facing a missed opportunity and loses the potential for future more regular sales of mid-priced wines further down the line.
Febvre and Company have been awarded the agency for Maison Louis Latour, the renowned family run Burgundy House, for the Republic of Ireland. Anthony Alken, MD of Febvre and Company, expressed his delight at the new partnership between Louis Latour and Febvre: “Both are family owned companies that value reputation and are committed to serving our customers with quality wines.”