Virgin Wines expects customers to dodge the pub for drinks at home October 26, 2022 Virgin Wines has anticipated customers will host more social gatherings at home rather than heading to the pub. In annual results, the online wine retailer said it was “mindful” of the potential impact of the cost of living crunch on frequency and order values. However, it said it expected people would be “more likely to [...]
Four venture trusts bag £45m in start-up vote of confidence October 18, 2022 Four venture capital trusts have bagged £45m from investors in just 24 hours in a vote of confidence for the vehicles after ministers reversed a decision to wind them down.
Liquid investment: How a new breed of rum is biting at the heels of whisky May 25, 2022 The rise of rum has been predicted for some time. The staggering rise in the fortunes of the whisk(e)y industry – I’ll omit the “e” from now on for aesthetic purposes – over the last couple of decades means many enthusiasts and would-be collectors are now being priced out of that market, and rum is [...]
The A-Z of wine: F is for… Furmint, the wine variety of tomorrow May 5, 2022 What’s this then? Furmit is an Eastern European grape variety, most commonly associated with Hungary but also grown widely in neighbouring Slovenia (where Napoleon’s army gave it the ‘c’est bon’ seal of approval that evolved into the grape’s alternate name, Sipon). If you’ve ever drunk the iconic sweet wines from the Tokaj region of Hungary [...]
The A-Z of wine: This week, E is for… England April 12, 2022 We continue to march through the alphabet in search of new wines and old favourites. What’s this then? A green and pleasant land bedeviled by internal strife caused by a single contentious issue – namely, what do you call a soft bread roll? Also home to a burgeoning wine industry fuelled by centuries of wine [...]
Virgin Wines battles shifting consumer habits as share earnings slip March 15, 2022 Virgin Wines earnings per share and pre-tax profit have stunted in the past six months, as the online wine retailer battles shifting consumer habits. With spiralling inflation and soaring energy prices, UK consumers are increasingly holding back splurging on non-necessities such as wine. The company, a subsidiary of the Virgin Group, earned an average of [...]
The A-Z of wine: This week, B is for… Beaujolais February 10, 2022 How do you pronounce Beaujolais? Boh-zholl-ayy What’s this then? A French wine region, located between the city of Lyon and the southern end of Burgundy. Best known for making reds from the Gamay grape. It’s possibly a part of Burgundy, depending on who you talk to, although it’s usually considered part of ‘wider Burgundy’. The [...]
Virgin Wines lowers guidance following Omicron and supply chain issues February 3, 2022 Online wine retailer Virgin Wines was forced today to lower its profit and revenue for the year ending June 2022 following disruption caused by Omicron and supply chain issues. “Like many businesses, we experienced several operational challenges in the Period due to well-publicised, external, macroeconomic factors including labour market shortages caused by the emergence of [...]
On board the first post-Covid BA flight to the US November 15, 2021 What is the collective noun for a group of journalists? Google suggests “pack”, “herd”, “scoop”, and “crowd”. But the word that sprung to my mind while on the BA 001 flight to JFK, fourth glass of champagne in hand, was frenzy. A palpable excitement swelled inside our cabin as the Airbus A350 took to the [...]
Supply chain woes: Virgin Wines stocks up for Christmas year in advance October 28, 2021 Virgin Wines revenue has jumped around a third to £73.6m in the past year, buoyed by strong levels of customer demand. In comparison with pre-pandemic figures, revenue has soared 73 per cent in the year to 30 June. Meanwhile, profit before tax and exceptional items has surged 86 per cent to £5.2m. The retailer has [...]