New distribution tools or channels, winegrowers like wine merchants and delicatessens have shown flexibility to adapt to the constraints imposed by the health crisis. They give a rather positive assessment of the year 2020, supported by consumers looking for proximity and cultivating a French art of living to which they remain more attached than ever. A survey by Wine Paris & Vinexpo.
A generally positive assessment of a turbulent 2020 : this is the observation of the majority of wine merchants and delicatessens (65 %) who declare having achieved a good turnover in 2020. 52% of them even recorded an increase in their sales and 23% announced stable sales compared to 2019. On their side, 29% of winegrowers questioned consider their results positive and 48% stable compared to 2019. The survey reveals a craze for wines during the end-of-year celebrations. In the last quarter of 2020, 63% of wine merchants and delicatessens noted a clear increase in their sales compared to the previous year. This period also allowed winegrowers to bounce back with sales increasing for 24% of them or at least equivalent for 31%.. The dynamism of professionals made it possible to support the activity. Wine merchants and delicatessens have constantly adapted their hours to government instructions and offered new services such as home delivery. (18 %) at unusual times (8 %) or the click & collect and pedestrian drive (15 %) to compensate for almost non-existent sales during private events (weddings…) and professionals (tastings…). Showing initiative and creativity, the winegrowers were also responsive, favoring a direct link with consumers and prescribers : 31% of them created their own e-commerce site during this period ; 30% have developed sales to property and 36% sales to wine merchants. And proximity is still ahead of digital in the distribution of wines. For 56% of winegrowers, wine merchants, delicatessens and sales on property contribute up to 30% of their turnover. Et, pour 44 %, they go far beyond digital (e-commerce site and online sales platform).
Wines and confinement
Still wines and spirits are doing well. At wine merchants and delicatessens, red and white wines recorded the best performance in sales compared to 2019, a situation undoubtedly reinforced by their place in the aperitif dinners of confinement and summer. So, white wines and red wines play an equal role in sales : wine merchants and delicatessens record a 50% increase in sales for red wines, 53% for white wines. Spirits, for their part, recorded an increase of 54%, consolidating their remarkable progress over the last few years. Sparkling wines associated with festive events, on the other hand, suffered from confinement.
An average basket on the rise
At wine merchants and delicatessens, the value of the average basket increases for white wines (49 %) and red (50 %), followed by that of spirits (40 %) while the average basket of sparkling wine sales remains equivalent. If 58% of wine merchants and delicatessens are optimistic for the future, a certain concern persists among winegrowers who despite everything demonstrate resilience. 67% of them wish to maintain and develop their new distribution networks including digital tools. The strength of character of the wine world was expressed. This sector, resilient by nature, was able to reinvent itself to bounce back, supported by French people who continued to appreciate wines and spirits.
Survey carried out by Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris with a panel of 559 wine producers and 354 wine merchants and delicatessens.
Vinexpo Paris 2021
The next Vinexpo show will be held from June 14 to 16 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
