RETAILER Pick n Pay said this week it had sold more than 20 million bottles of wine in 2021 and as its online platforms sold nearly 50 percent more wine last year than the prior year.
It looked to exceed that figure this year and sell 25 million bottles as it continued to form partnerships with the local wine industry and grow its exclusively produced wine collection.
In December 2020, Pick n Pay said it had pledged its commitment to support the local wine industry after prolonged restrictions on trade and exports saw the industry suffering huge financial losses and unsold batches.
This as the Beer Association of South Africa last month said the booze sector was forced to stay closed for 161 days over a 16-month period since South Africa’s national lockdown was implemented in March 2020, with many firms still struggling to recover.
However, by working with wine farms to sell excess volumes accumulated during the lockdowns, Pick n Pay said it had increased its 750ml bottle range by 10 percent in 2021. This was across all price points and included red, white and sparkling wine styles.
Pick n Pay also leveraged its online platforms. PnP asap! doubled the number of wine bottles it delivered last year thanks to its growing network.
Gavin Levers, the head of liquor at Pick n Pay, said: “The local wine industry is a huge job creator and exporter for the country and isn’t nearly as celebrated here as it is globally. We believed that Pick n Pay... can promote wines across the board from top-of-the-range wines to less premium, but equally good, wines.”
The retailer was also collaborating with wine producers to create new ranges of wine, exclusively for Pick n Pay customers.
“We’ve just launched our third exclusive wine range called The Masterpiece. Produced by Bellingham Wines, it consists of three wines and bears the artwork of two local artists on the label.
“The Jacques Steytler range launched last year is a special collaboration between Pick n Pay, fourth generation winemaker Danie Steytler and industry entrepreneur Jacques Steenkamp, ” Levers said.
BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE