Slurp Wine

‘SlurpVision’ Now a Major Force in Online Wine – 100 Videos Up!

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Today Slurp announced that its ‘SlurpVision’ video channel has passed 100 tasting videos. To celebrate its emergence as a major platform supporting online sales, SlurpVision has been given new home page prominence on Slurp’s main global websites

SlurpVision is presented and run by Victoria Daskal with the help of a dedicated film and editing team. Although only six months old, the channel has already attracted 17,800 upload views and has nearly 300 subscribers.

SlurpVision combines wine education with a strong commercial rationale. Many of the videos give an informational and practical assessment of the products being promoted by Slurp. They give the viewer a deeper insight into the wine, beer or spirit – complete with a QR code linking to the Slurp website. They have been shown to materially boost sales, and SlurpVision tasting note videos are now routinely embedded into Slurp marketing emails. Slurp believes that words and photos are no longer enough to excite consumers and the company plans to use tasting videos in support of all major marketing campaigns in 2012.

Victoria Daskal explains the thinking further:

“The idea behind SlurpVision was to introduce consumers to the winemakers who make their favourite wines, explain common wine terms and discover the key regions one video at a time. The response has been amazing. We have produced videos with celebrated winemakers such as Peter Gago (Penfolds) and Serge Hochar (Chateau Musar) as well as interviewed leading critics like Steven Spurrier and Tim Atkin MW. We have created a number of themed videos promoting specific regions such as English, Indian, Languedoc and Washington wines. We have filmed tasting videos of scores of wines that have gone on to become big sellers on Slurp”.

Having demonstrated the success of the idea in the UK, Slurp is rolling out the service to its Asian customers – SlurpVision is today being embedded on the Slurp.asia homepage for the first time featuring a video on what to drink on Chinese New Year. Slurp believes that the thirst for wine knowledge and education is huge amongst Chinese consumers, and a series of Chinese subtitled videos are being planned for the first half of 2012.

Christmas Surge in Online Wine Sales Reported by Slurp.co.uk

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 12:01:00 +0000

Slurp.co.uk CEO Dr Jeremy Howard today hailed a “breakthrough” in online wine sales as revenues surged over the Christmas period. The number of orders processed by Slurp jumped by 162% in Dec. 2011 (over Dec. 2010) - with revenue leaping by 73.4%. The value increase was despite a year on year decline in fine wine sales – meaning that UK retail sales were up well over 100%. Slurp saw especially strong demand for wine, spirit and beer gifts, pre-mixed festive cases and corporate presents. In addition, Slurp provided wine ‘treats’ to over 1,000 additional customers on behalf of a major UK retailer.

Slurp was surprised by the number of last minute orders from customers tempted by guaranteed Christmas delivery until 23^rd December. Internet orders and website traffic peaked on 13^th December – with traffic in the two weeks prior to Christmas averaging 200% higher than normal. Slurp experienced no serious delivery problems over the Holiday period, with its warehouse hub and courier network performing well.

Dr Howard said: “Having over 2,000 different lines in our West London hub for next day delivery really proved its worth this year. Customers were able to order to their exact requirements until very late – and they did! We saw no hangover from last year when mid-December snow led to some delays. The really pleasing thing for us was that well over 50% of customers ordering in December were new to Slurp.”

Wine, beer and spirits online retailing is still in its infancy in the UK, trailing other sectors like books, CDs, travel and insurance by a wide margin. Slurp believes that only around 11-12% of total wine sales are online currently, leaving huge scope for further growth in the online sector. Dr Howard concluded:

"Christmas 2011 saw the online wine sector really ‘come of age’. We expect many of the customers who shopped online for the first time to remain with us, hastening the migration from the high street struggle to the ease of screen and home delivery.”

ENDS.

Slurp Lightens Up! A Major Re-branding and New Features for Slurp.co.uk

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:13:00 +0000

Slurp has unveiled a huge brand overhaul – the result of 6 months of market research and client consultation. All of our 10,000+ pages have been completely re-designed. The result (we hope!) is a platform that is lighter, brighter, easier to navigate with loads of additional features.

The new site has:

A lighter and brighter design on every page.
Re-designed homepage with clearer and more impactful scrolling promotions.
New Drop-Down Menus introduced and internal navigation re-organised.
Cork Point balances shown in Customer Baskets.
Checkout overhauled and simplified.
New one click ‘re-order’ function in Account Management section
New ‘Mini Homepages’ introduced for Fine Wines, Beers and Spirits.
New separate and dedicated Twitter feeds for: Fine Wine, Beers and Spirits.
SlurpChat incorporated into every page. Social media sharing on all products.
SlurpVision tasting videos embedded into Product home pages.
A Fine Wines trading platform with scrolling ticker (WineTrader).

In order to engage Slurpers with the new site we are this week offering FREE DELIVERY on all purchases and we are entering anyone who buys from us this week into a grand draw to win a £300 case of wine (announced on Sunday at 10pm).

There will also be a major social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter to promote the new site – as well as a communication to all Slurp customers.

Please let us know any thoughts, comments or feedback … we would really appreciate it. The new platform is a major step forward in Slurp’s quest for market leadership in dedicated online wine, beer and spirit sales in the UK.

Slurp Q3 2011 Revenues Sharply Higher Across All Business Divisions

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 08:41:00 +0000

The Slurp Group continued to gain market share and exhibit strong sales growth in Q3 2011. Group revenues advanced 78% over Q3 2010. All three of the Group’s main divisions: UK Retail, Fine Wines and Slurp.asia saw strong yoy revenue gains.

Q3 2011 saw the formal launch of the Slurp.asia platform, allowing Slurp’s Asian customers to purchase directly through a HK$ denominated online platform. Slurp.asia is the first of a number of international brands planned by Slurp, and it has already made rapid inroads into the Asian retail market. Slurp.asia also moved into its new offices in central Hong Kong and Managing Director Tom Chamberlain has begun a recruitment programme that will see Sales and Trading built up substantially over the next 12 months.

In the quarter Slurp also launched a number of other strategic initiatives: Slurpbeer.com was formally rolled out as UK sub-brand offering a range of over 500 specialist beers. Our new YouTube-based tasting channel SlurpVision was unveiled under the leadership of Victoria Daskal. SlurpVision will bring to life products in a way that a simple text and images website can’t. It also features interviews with top names from the wine world such as Steven Spurrier and Serge Hochar (early participants). SlurpVision has been extremely popular, with almost 9,000 upload views already.

Q3 also saw the beta launch of Slurp’s online fine wine trading platform. Slurp WineTrader is the result of extensive consultation with fine wine buyers and investors about the paucity of trading and portfolio tools currently on the market. Fine wine trading and investment has exploded in popularity in the last few years, but wine merchants' platforms have not kept pace with the expectations of clients. It is hoped that WineTrader will evolve into the contemporary retail trading and portfolio platform that the industry so badly needs.

Slurp’s progress was again recognised by the industry. In Q3 Slurp was nominated for a number of industry awards by International Wine Challenge and Decanter. Slurp was a candidate for IWC ‘Direct Merchant of the Year’ 2011. Decanter nominated Slurp for ‘National Wine Merchant of the Year’.

Of greatest potential importance was the launch in Q3 of a formal venture capital round. Slurp executives met with numerous venture capital houses during the quarter and met with an extremely enthusiastic response. It is hoped that a formal announcement of a major strategic investment in Slurp will be made in late Q4.

Slurp公司正式進軍亞洲市場

Wed, 7 Sep 2011 08:44:00 +0100

slurp.asia以香港為亞洲物流中樞, 港幣定價, 銷售來自世界各地的優質葡萄酒。從最昂貴的投資型佳釀到廣受歡迎的新世界葡萄酒，slurp.asia在提供豐富多樣化的葡萄酒選擇之余，將推出一系列烈酒（洋酒）和啤酒精品給予客戶更多的選擇。

分部負責人湯姆.張伯倫（Tom Chamberlain）先生持WSET專業品酒師文憑，曾在澳大利亞和美國擔任釀酒師。為保證商品和服務質量，湯姆先生將直接參與商品采購及客戶交流。

英國slurp.co.uk網站擁有7000+種的商品；以具有競爭力的定價、方便的網絡購物模式且無最低訂購要求的人性化戰略把握了成功的銷售商機。由Slurp技術人員獨立研發的軟件平臺，為顧客網購的安全性提供了有力保障。

slurp.asia將帶給亞太地區消費者同樣的品質承諾以及專業化的選酒建議，在本地進口商中采購同時，從slurp倫敦保稅倉庫選購消費者喜愛的精品佳釀。

Slurp Launches Slurp.asia in Major International Expansion

Mon, 5 Sep 2011 12:20:00 +0100

Leading international online wine company Slurp stepped up its international expansion today with the launch of Slurp.asia. Slurp.asia is headquartered in Hong Kong but will serve customers across the Asia Pacific region. The Slurp.asia website will offer a selection of high quality wines from across the world - priced in HK$ - and fulfilled from Slurp’s Asian logistics hub in Hong Kong. Over time, Slurp.asia will offer a range of spirits and specialist beers alongside a comprehensive wine list encompassing everything from the most expensive investment wines through New World drinking options.

Slurp.asia aims to replicate the success of the Slurp.co.uk brand in the UK – where the company has carved out a very successful niche offering a very wide range of products with competitive pricing, great online selection tools and no minimum order requirements. Although the Asian range will initially be smaller than Slurp’s 7,000+ UK products, the same commitment to choice and ease of ordering will be paramount.

Slurp.asia will be run by Managing Director Tom Chamberlain. Tom holds a WSET Diploma and has made wine in both Australia and the USA. Tom will oversee all aspects of customer service and procurement. Products will be sourced locally, with some fine wines being offered direct from Slurp’s London bonded facilities.

The launch of Slurp.asia represents a mini triumph of British software engineering. Slurp technicians have designed a single software platform that allows all customer, sales, products and inventory data to be managed across different websites in different countries (with checkouts in different currencies) using just one web-based system. It is this platform that will now facilitate the rapid expansion of Slurp brands in multiple countries over the next 12 months.

Slurp Shortlisted for IWC Direct Merchant of the Year

Wed, 3 Aug 2011 11:58:00 +0100

Slurp has been nominated for the second year running for International Wine Challenge's prestigious 'Direct Merchant of the Year' award for 2011.

Slurp is delighted to be nominated again for this award and we are grateful to IWC for their recognition of what we have done to improve the quality of online service in the UK.

We are especially flattered by the fact that Slurp is the only small company on the shortlist. Of the other nominated companies, three are large and established national icons (Berry Bros. & Rudd, Laithwaites and Wine Society) and one (Naked Wines) is owned by one of Europe's largest wholesalers (WIV Wein International AG).

So truly it will be David against four Goliaths at the awards ceremony in London in September!

Slurp Critical of Proposal to Restrict UK Internet Wine Sector

Tue, 2 Aug 2011 10:06:00 +0100

Today Slurp reacted angrily to calls for a 'suppliers' charter' to restrict the supply of certain products to internet wine retailers such as Slurp.co.uk. Slurp CEO Dr Jeremy Howard wrote to Jamie Hutchinson seeking urgent clarification of his proposal and calling for the UK Office for Fair Trading to be involved in drafting any such charter to ensure that UK and European competition law was respected and that internet retailers were not discriminated against.

The full text of Dr Howard's letter is reproduced below:

"Dear Mr Hutchinson,

We are contacting you to seek urgent clarification of your remarks as reported by Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade Review on 1^st August 2011 – specifically, your call for a new “Suppliers’ Charter” to govern the distribution of wine in the UK.

In the Harpers article, you are quoted as calling for a “Charter” which you say is necessary to prevent the “leaking” of wine to “other sectors”. Specifically, you said: “There is too much product leakage from the independent and on-trade sectors through to retailers like Costco and internet-only retailers such as Slurp.”

As clearly a “Charter” of the kind you are advocating would affect our ability to trade very substantially, we would appreciate urgent clarification of what you envisage and more detail on how you think it would operate. Presumably you are calling for suppliers to be prevented from selling certain products to our company, even though Slurp.co.uk is an established and reputable merchant within the independent sector like any other?

We have requested an analysis of your proposal from our legal advisors, but clearly we need more details before we can make a full assessment. I can tell you though that the initial response we have had is that such a ‘Charter’ directed at restraint of supply against a named internet retailer is wholly outside the legal framework of the UK. As such, we believe that the Office for Fair Trading should be involved at this stage to help ensure that the ‘Charter’ does not contravene any UK or European competition law.

Our company is fully committed to full and fair competition in the UK wine market. We believe that consumers are best served by a thriving competitive environment in which retailers fight to serve their customers in the best possible way. Innovation is surely in the customer interest? Our concern is that a ‘Charter’ of the kind you are advocating will stifle competition, reduce choice and ultimately lead to a poorer service for the consumer.

As such, and as you have specifically named Slurp as a target for the ‘Charter’, we would appreciate your urgent clarification of how it would operate so we can respond accordingly.

Yours etc."

Slurp Breaks with En Primeur Tradition in Highly Successful Sale of Château Rieussec 2010

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:13:00 +0100

Last week Slurp.co.uk took a stand against two elements of Bordeaux en primeur ‘tradition’ that have long been bugbears of UK wine buyers.

For several years now many UK fine wine merchants have forced customers seeking Lafite and Duhart Milon to purchase quantities of Château Rieussec at the same time. Still other merchants have priced Rieussec at a level vastly above its price on the wholesale market. Slurp believes both practices are out-dated against customer interests. Last week Slurp broke ranks and offered Rieussec free of any ties and at a price reflecting only a reasonable mark up on the wholesale price. This led to Slurp offering Rieussec 2010 at prices ranging from £250 - £295 a case when some merchants were (and still are) quoting prices of almost £500.

Slurp published an in-depth Investment Research note explaining how and why it was pricing and distributing Rieussec (full report). The report noted that because négociants were tying allocations of Lafite and Duhart to Rieussec the Sauternes being anonymously dumped in the market at prices up to 60% less that the release price of €48 a bottle (this for one of Sauternes most venerable and desirable producers). Slurp has been (to our knowledge) the most active secondary market buyer of Rieussec from négociants and UK merchants alike - and its customers have benefitted accordingly. Slurp has sold a multiple three figure number of cases in just the first five days of its campaign.

Slurp’s Chief Executive Dr Jeremy Howard explained the company’s stance:

“If something looks wrong and feels wrong it doesn’t matter to us whether it is ‘established practice’ or not. As a new company we are outside the ‘en primeur establishment’ and hence think independently. Where we see an opportunity to help our clients buy a great product at a fair price we are going to seize it. If it means breaking ranks with the traditionalists then so be it. Our relationships with négociants are important to us, but just because they are asked to do something by a producer does not mean we as a merchant have to follow suit.”

Slurp is not alone in its view that some en primeur practices are now out-dated and no longer working in customers’ interests. In her Financial Times column this weekend the UK’s leading wine writer Jancis Robinson wrote a withering critique of the 2010 campaign, specifically referring to the exasperation caused by “Bordeaux negociants’ attempts to bundle less desirable wines with the most sought-after.” (see article, July 9-10th)

ENDS.

A Visit to an Unusual Neighbour

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:51:00 +0100

You would never know by looking at Nasmyth Street in Hammersmith that there was anything out of the ordinary there. It’s a quiet, sunny (whilst I was there, at any rate), tree lined, residential Hammersmith street, peppered with children riding tricycles and the odd dog-walker. Look a little more closely though and you’ll spot the small unassuming white warehouse, nestling between the ends of two terraces, discreet, but there, if you’re looking for it.

Inside, it’s a world away from what lies in the hazy post-school, street scene outside – an office come laboratory come distillery; glass jars, copper funnels, gizmos and gadgets a-plenty. It is the first London copper pot still distillery to open its doors in two hundred years. Sipsmith.

Fairfax, one of the two brains behind the exclusive and artisan Sipsmith Barley Vodka and Sipsmith London Dry Gin, shows me around and explains the idea behind the brand. The concept was born from their experiences of artisan micro-distilleries over in the US, where it is warmly welcomed by consumers. Fairfax and his business partner Sam thought that their native England sorely lacked the small-scale, hand-crafted products that are a growing trend over the ‘pond’. London has the historical ties to gin and so it seemed like the ideal location from which to launch Sipsmith; so named because of the craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes in to every sip of the product.

Although Fairfax and Sam are running the operation, the centre stage should really be given to Prudence – the bespoke 300L German-made copper pot still – there isn’t another one like her in the world! She stands proudly at one end of the Sipsmith distillery, while master distiller, Jared Brown, crafts each product by hand, in small batches – just a few hundred bottles a time.

The resulting spirit is just incredible - smooth, full of character and a true intensity of flavour.
The Sipsmith Barley Vodka is distilled from English barley spirit and blended with the exceptionally pure water of Lydwell spring, which is the source of the River Thames. The vodka is unfiltered; filtration, Fairfax explained, isn’t necessary because they only take the vodka cut from the top of the ‘heart’ of the distillation run. It’s the part that has the most flavour too – a smooth, creamy and soft mouth-feel, with a gentle warmth that envelopes at the finish. It’s perfect when served over ice, by itself, or to make a vodka martini.

The latter half of the ‘heart run’ that has less flavour but is incredibly smooth is used to make the Sipsmith London Dry Gin. The botanicals (coriander seed and juniper, among others) are steeped in the still for 12 hours before a very gentle and patient distillation that is carefully monitored by Jared to ensure just the right balance is achieved. The resulting gin is a delight – citrus notes on the nose, with slightly bitter ‘marmalade’ notes; on the palate, again it is very smooth and fresh with juniper and citrus peel dominating the entry but leading to a gentle spiciness, zestiness and a great length.

Having never before been able to stomach gin or vodka without any sort of tonic or cocktail mixture, I found myself surprisingly able to savour their character and enjoy them straight from the tasting glass.

My visit to Sipsmith this afternoon has certainly been a welcome break from the office; from the intimacy of the quirky distillery, to the friendly and relaxed attitudes of Fairfax and Co. and, of course, the wonderful boutique gin and vodka. There’s definitely room for Sipsmith on my drinks shelf from now on!

Emily

Slurp CEO Joins 13 of the UK’s Brightest Start-ups at the BVCA Showcase

Thu, 26 May 2011 18:09:00 +0100

Slurp CEO Dr Jeremy Howard joined 13 of the UK’s brightest start-ups at a British Venture Capital Association showcase at Britain’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’ venue of Shoreditch Town Hall on 24th May 2011. Dr Howard (fifth from right) explained to Minister for Enterprise Ed Vaizey MP (and an exclusive audience of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, officials and journalists) about how Slurp was revolutionising wine buying in the UK through its use of technology and social media. Attendees heard about Slurp’s pioneering of technology, such as its Online Sommelier, and how it was making a serious contribution to modernising wine retailing and enthusing a new generation of wine and spirits drinker.

Slurp Shortlisted for 'National Wine Merchant of the Year 2011' by Decanter

Mon, 16 May 2011 21:14:00 +0100

For the second year running Slurp has been shortlisted for the coveted National Wine Merchant of the Year award from Decanter magazine. The award for 2011 will be made at a ceremony in September. The other candidates this year are: Berry Bros, Armit, Majestic, Laithwaites, and The Wine Society.

Slurp to Feature at British Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Event with Minister Ed Vaizey MP in May 2011

Tue, 10 May 2011 13:17:00 +0100

The Slurp Group will be showcased along with other promising VC-backed start-ups in a BVCA organised event on 24^th May 2011. The event will be chaired by Ed Vaizey MP - the minister within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills responsible for the start-up and venture sector. It will be attended by up to 200 venture capitalists, investors, politicians, officials from the London Mayor’s office and media personnel.

The Slurp Group was selected for the event in recognition of its progress in bringing innovation and entrepreneurial flair to the staid world of UK wine, beer and spirits retailing. The event is intended to celebrate success stories such as Slurp, and to allow companies to share experiences (both good and bad!) and to inspire others. The event will encompass a formal presentation, Q&A session and a networking session (for which regrettably Slurp is not supplying the refreshments).

Full details of the event are available here:

CEO Dr Jeremy Howard will make the presentation along with COO Nico Sunnucks.

Slurp Reports Strong Q1 2011 Trading Performance

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:46:00 +0100

The Slurp Group bucked the general trend in UK retailing in Q1 2011 by reporting a strong start to the trading year. Q1 revenues were up 261% over the same period in 2010. Especially pleasing was the fact that revenues rose 94% over the traditionally strong Q4 2010 period. This underlines the fact that Slurp's growth remains secular, and is not yet affected by seasonal variation. Q1 revenue growth maintained the 250% yoy rate seen in Q4 2010.

The Q1 2011 performance was bolstered by an excellent January in the Fine Wines (Slurpfinewines.com) division. Growth also continues to be driven by the company's Asian division (Slurp.asia) under the energetic leadership of Managing Director Tom Chamberlain. Slurp.asia had a particularly strong March as our Hong Kong and Chinese customers replenished stocks following the Chinese New Year in February. The appointment of one of Slurp's original founders, Nico Sunnucks, to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer has given the Group a much sharper global focus in its logistics processes as it continues its international expansion. Although no new brands were rolled out in Q1, a lot of background work was completed and a number of new brands (both domestic in the UK and overseas) will be appearing in the next two quarters.

Much of the growth in the UK retail arm (branded Slurp.co.uk) was the result of continuing innovation in the Slurp offering. In Q1 we swept away all restrictions on order size for our 1,500 'Slurp Express' products offered for next day delivery. This change sets Slurp apart from almost all of its main competitors and has had a significant impact on the level of smaller orders - often for just one bottle.

Slurp continued to make numerous hires in Q1 2011 in support of its aggressive growth strategy. A new Financial Controller has joined the Group (Susan Lummis) and a dedicated Communications Group has been created under the leadership of Emily Acha Derrington. Slurp has also completed a major reorganisation of its IT division with a new outsourced team formed in the Indian capital of Delhi to give it the scope to increase its development substantially in the remainder of 2011.

Dr Jeremy Howard

Chief Executive Officer

The Slurp Group Appoints new Chief Operating Officer

Wed, 9 Mar 2011 09:05:00 +0000

Today the Slurp Group announced the promotion of Mr Nico Sunnucks to group Chief Operating Officer. Nico had previously been the group's Director of Purchasing. In his new capacity Mr Sunnucks will oversee all aspects of company logistics and purchasing operations globally. Having been a co-founder of Slurp, Nico has been central to the development of the global platform which has already seen the launch of Slurp.asia last year and will see a number of new international markets developed through 2011. Nico brings a wealth of previous experience in logistical operations in the Far East to this new role. Joining the purchasing team at this time will be Rachael Deal who will report directly to Nico and assume responsibility for day to day purchasing activities.