Market Watch: Retailers Gear Up For The Holiday Rush

Enthusiasm for the holidays as well as the eagerness to spotlight own labels and staff favorites is commonplace among beverage alcohol retailers who look to the winter holidays to drive a third or more of their annual sales.

At Seattle’s Metropolitan Market, wine, beer, spirits, and beverage specialist Mark Takagi is primed for the holiday season. “Champagne is a big deal and we bring in a container of our own label of Brut, Vintage, and rosé and merchandise along with all of the other notable houses like Louis Roederer, Veuve Clicquot, and others,” he says. “We also have a selection of about 20 wines we call ‘holiday picks’ that have become a go-to favorite for our customers to shop from as they know all of these wines have been selectively curated by our wine staff for holiday fare and gatherings.” Those wines are typically priced anywhere from $15-$80 per bottle.

Gift baskets around the holidays and all year long are a staple at Wines & More locations in Massachusetts. Sara Walsh, director of merchandising and giftware for Wine & Spirits Retail Marketing, which franchises the stores, says she typically steers clear of holiday-centric or holiday-specific brands in her offerings, preferring instead to dress up baskets with packaging to match the season. But some baskets have an undeniable seasonal bent, such as the Winter Warmer ($40), which contains a 750-ml. of Smirnoff Vanilla vodka, two nips each of 99 Peppermint and 99 Whipped vodka, an assortment of cocoas, and a mug.

Retailer France 44 in Minneapolis also makes its own gift packs. “We’ll assemble cocktail kits or mix-and-match beer baskets, focusing on local producers,” says owner Rick Anderson. “People love it.” But unlike some other retailers, Anderson isn’t too keen on the seasonal flavors that swarm the shelves during the holidays. “We’ll buy a case or two of whatever flavor they’ve come up with for that season,” he says, using Baileys as an example. “But we stick to the basics.” Market Watch has the full story.

Tagged : Louis Roederer, Market Watch, Veuve Clicquot

GET YOUR FIRST LOOK AT 2025 ESTIMATES AND 2030 PROJECTIONS FOR THE WINE AND SPIRITS INDUSTRIES. ORDER YOUR 2025 IMPACT DATABANK REPORTS. CLICK HERE.