According to latest reports and figures, online wine selling is the fastest growing area within the UK retail industry and shows no signs of stopping soon.

Unlike most other retail industries it has often been hard to track the number of sales of each bottle simply because it has been near impossible to keep track or worse still keep up with the with the pace of sales through the tills of the largest retailer stores. It seems that although we are no longer in a recession but tinkering just out of one, the drinks industry has not been affected in the same way as the car, clothing or electrical industries.

With the world cup just behind us, and Christmas soon upon us, it looks like the industry will continue to grow from strength to strength. Evidence shows that alcohol sales via online websites, is by far and above the fastest growing sector of UK retail. The industry has seen an approximate increase in value from £550 million to almost £700 million, during the period April 2009 to April 2010, with the wine portion of this total estimated to be worth in the region of £200 million. However the whole ‘direct-to-consumer’ wine market (predominantly via mail order and including online business) stretches to nearer the £900 million level.

Amongst the markets leading wine retailers, Tesco and Waitrose, have both confirmed that online buyers spend more money online than they would in store and there is more scope to entice affluent customers, thus leading to higher revenues. Both retailers have verified that they are going to increase and expand their online ranges especially on the back of the positive figures they have experienced.

Wine-Bag’s Directors comments:

“With the way the industry looks to be going, and with great and positive signs for the online wine industry, this can only mean more people will want to compliment their wine purchases with gift packaging. We will therefore strive to keep ourselves innovated to make sure our customers feel they are receiving the best products for the wine they are buying.”