THE nature of retailing drinks for Christmas and New Year has changed remarkably over the years.
For a start we’ve had the wine revolution in Britain and festive meals and gatherings across Scotland and elsewhere would now be just about unthinkable without a good supply of wine. And while mainstream brands dominate sales in c-stores, the wine firms all say consumers are increasingly ready to try something a bit special, especially at the festive season.
Spirits firms tell a similar story of premiumisation and some of the world’s biggest and most prestigious drinks brands have been developing new expressions and bottle sizes with convenience outlets in mind.
And these days we have Christmas fruit cider, mulled cider, mulled wine, and more.
In the first of our Christmas drinks features we look at what’s in store in beers, wines, spirits, and soft drinks as we head towards the finale of a tumultuous year.
