Wine franchise opportunities

Wine has become the UK's favourite alcoholic beverage. White wine is slightly more popular than red, with rose holding a 10% share of sales. In recent times, creative minds have sought to add new vibrancy to this beverage sector by introducing a greater range of fruit flavoured wines and low alcohol options, a market sector with considerable potential for further growth.

The other result of the nation’s love affair with wine, is the emergence of strong players in the supply of wine to both the domestic and commercial market. Some of those businesses are seeking to share their success with franchisees, who can cash in on the respected brand names and strong supply chains.This is a highly competitive market. Most UK wine sales are via retail – especially supermarkets – with only 20% of wine being drunk in restaurants, bars and other venues. 

If you start a business in the wine sector, having the backing of an organisation that has already fermented good connections and built up industry insights, can be vital. Franchisers have already built up relationships with importers and can keep the unit prices down with economies of scale, something independent traders struggle to compete with.

Examples of these franchisers include award winning company The Cambridge Wine Merchant, currently seeking new franchisees to grow its network of distributors. Wine Rack is a beverage option offered by First Franchise, which has a stable of retail partnerships.If educating the nation’s palate is more your style, there's the option of opening one of a growing number of Wine School franchises in the UK. Or, you could open an expresso and wine bar under the umbrella of successful franchiser Artigiano. Another option is Veeno, The Italian Wine Cafè franchise. Alternatively, vomFASS is a retail franchise that sells carefully selected wines alongside oils, vinegars, spirits and liqueurs, hand bottled in re-usable containers by customers.

To find a classic wine franchise deal or a more contemporary niche business opportunity, get the right balance and a good body of research by contacting us today to find out more.