14 May 2018 Half bottle wine trend gathers pace in the UK
Responding to a consumer desire for smaller bottles in order to both cut down on waste and curb their midweek drinking, leading UK supermarkets are jumping on the smaller-serving trend.
Waitrose and Aldi have both released a range of half bottles, closely followed by supermarket giant, Tesco, more recently with a range of 37.5cl half bottles and 50cl bottles.
“We are seeing an increase in the number of shoppers wanting to enjoy a smaller amount of wine or a midweek treat without having to buy and potentially waste a full size bottle,” Alexandra Runciman, Tesco’s product developer for wine, told The Mirror.
“Millennials in particular are more concerned about the quantity of alcohol that they drink, so we hope this new range will help them manage portion control.
“This new range of smaller wine bottles will also allow customers to cut down on waste by giving them the exact portions they want,” she added.
Tesco currently only sells wine in the standard 75cl format and also 18.7cl single serves. The 37.5cl bottles will hold the equivalent of three glasses of wine, while the 50cl bottles hold four, compared to the standard six of a 75cl bottle.
Among the wines in the new smaller formats are popular pours like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and a Rioja Reserva.
Cost wise, the 50cl Rioja Reserva is priced at £6.25 compared to £8.50 for the standard 75cl bottle, so customers will save money but downsizing their wines.
As reported by The Mirror, recent data from Nielsen has found that alcohol consumption is in decline, with Brits drinking one less alcoholic drink each week on average.
Waitrose was the first supermarket to get in on the smaller serves act, adding a collection of half bottles to its range last October, including a Rioja, white Burgundy and Argentine Malbec.
Aldi also jumped on the half bottle bandwagon last month when it launched a range of 37.5cl wines that included a Romanian Pinot Noir and a Chilean Malbec.
Source: thedrinksbusiness.com