This year’s One Step Beyond webinars, in partnership with the Wine & Spirit Trade Association, are designed to help you get on top of the most pressing issues facing buyers, suppliers, importers and producers. They start on March 15 with our free webinar ‘Rewriting The Rules of Buying and Selling Wines and Spirits’. For more details and to sign up click here.
“We have all become so accustomed to annual deals. That’s what everyone in the trade has grown up on. That’s all been blown out of the water because of the increase in dry goods and packaging costs.” That’s the situation that Jon Woodriffe, sales director at Origin Wines, the major South African producer, says the wine and drinks industry now finds itself in due to the unprecedented trading conditions that everyone in the supply chain is having to grapple with.
Throw in the fact there are huge shortages in glass, screwcaps and even the labels to go on a bottle and what was a well oiled, highly efficient trading model, where buyers, suppliers and producers were happy to sign up to minimum 12 month contracts, and knew exactly where they were, has, as Woodriffe says, been “blown out of the water”.
So how is the drinks supply chain adapting, changing and coming up with new solutions to get round what are a whole new set of challenges facing the industry?
That is the topic of the first One Step Beyond event of 2023, to be held on March 15 (4pm-5.30pm GMT) suitably titled ‘Rewriting the Rewriting the Rules of Buying and Selling Wines and Spirits’.
It is the first of three One Step Beyond webinars planned for 2023 all under the ‘Rewriting the Rules’ banner.
Later in the year we will turning the spotlight on two further events:
- Rewriting the Rules around the Environment and Sustainability: What are the steps that producers, importers, distributors, retailers and on-trade operators taking to be more sustainable. What are the most effective steps that companies are taking that are good for the planet, but make good business sense and and is effective and efficient for everyone in the supply chain.
- Rewriting the Rules around Marketing Wines and Spirits to Consumers: How do drinks companies, brand owners, importers, retailers and restaurant groups attract, retain and raise spend during hard financial times? How do they remain relevant to an increasingly fickle consumer base? What is the role of online, social media & commerce versus traditional retailing?
March 15: ‘Rewriting the Rewriting the Rules of Buying and Selling Wines and Spirits
For the first webinar we have brought together a panel of leading players hand picked to represent different parts of the drinks supply chain so that we can hear first hand a) what the on the ground, practical issues are, and b) how companies are working together to find solutions to get round them.
The Panel
Wine Producer
Philip Cox works with retailers and operators all over Europe supplying them with wine from Cramele Recas – Romania’s biggest wine exporter
Philip Cox, co-founder of Cramele Recas, the largest exporter of wine from Romania that works with major retailers and customers in countries around the world, including the majority of multiple retail groups and on-trade operators in the UK.
Cox has been a leading player in raising the supply chain issues that were coming way on the back of Covid, and has been working hard to find sustainable solutions to supply chain and glass issues by introducing a recycled PET bottle that he believes can have a major impact on the wine and wider drinks industry.
Supermarkets/ major retailers
Waitrose’s Barry Dick MW heads up bulk sourcing for BWS
Barry Dick MW, bulk sourcing manager for beers, wines and spirits at Waitrose has joined the panel and will be able to share his insights and experience working across all drinks categories and sourcing products from all over the world.
Marks & Spencer’s Dror Nativ
Dror Nativ, wine buyer and manager at Marks & Spencer, will be able to share the steps it is taking to work even closer with its suppliers and how genuine long term producer relationships can really pay dividends and help give retailers a competitive edge in such difficult times.
Cat Lomax has extensive experience working for major retailers including M&S, Waitrose and Majestic
Cat Lomax, award winning, head of wine buying for a number of major retailers including Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Majestic and Laithwaites will be able to provide an independent view on the practical, positive steps that retailers, suppliers and producers can take to work better together based on these new trading rules.
Importers
Off-trade
Kim Wilson of North South Wines, one of the UK’s leading off-trade suppliers
Kim Wilson, managing director of North South Wines, will be able to share how it is changing the way it works with its major retailer customers, as well as its large network of independent wine merchants.
On-trade
Rebecca Palmer will look at the role Corney & Barrow can play in working with both its supplier partners and end on-trade and off-trade customers in managing availability of supply
Rebecca Palmer, associate director and wine buyer at Corney & Barrow, will examine the role importers and distributors have in working with both its supplier partners and trade customers in ensuring availability and service is maintained despite the supply chain issues. As she says: “Unless everyone in the supply/value chain adjusts and acknowledges these issues and is prepared to flex, then there will always be a loser and that’s not good for anyone.”
Private label, exclusive brands
Richard Dennis of Watermill Wines that specialises in private label contracts
Richard Dennis, commercial director, Watermill Wines, will analyse the role of a specialist own label supplier in working both with its producer partners and retail customers in planning, adapting and managing the supply chain to ensure availability and consistency in supply and, again, why long term effective relationships can really make a difference.
Flexible, fast paced specialist importer
Alex Green believes Beyond Wines offer a competitive edge for being small and highly flexible
Alex Green, co-founder of Beyond Wines, will be also to share how smaller, more flexible, arguably faster paced importers and bespoke brand owners can bring ideas to customers and the market quickly and have the flexibility to respond to supply chain changes and challenges.
Bottler, importer, brand builder
Andrew Porton will be able to look at Lanchester Group’s role in being a supplier, brand owner and major UK bottling business through Greencroft Bottling
Andrew Porton, managing director wine division of the Lanchester Group, wears many hats in a business that through its specialist Greencroft Bottling company is at the sharp end of managing supply chains and can give a front line view on the impact of bottling and packaging issues. Porton will also examine how it is working with its producer partners to create bespoke products, exclusive brands as well as agency wines to match the needs of the market.
International buyer, importer, distributor
David Rowledge of Alchemy Wines works with importers and producers all over the world
David Rowledge, managing director, Alchemy Wines, will be able to share his experiences of working in multiple countries supplying, sourcing and distributing wines and how many of the issues being faced in the UK are global supply chain and cost issues for the international wine industry.
How to sign up
You can sign up for free for the first One Step Beyond webinar on March 15 by clicking here.
