Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
More and more of us are choosing to skip the local in favour of the home bar – and whisky and beer are leaving wine in the shade.
So says British glassmaker Dartington Crystal, which reports that sales of its spirit and beer glasses have rocketed while former perennial favourites – items from its Wine Master and Wine Essentials ranges – have been knocked from the top spots.
The company’s web sales between last November and the end of February show that no less than three of the top 10 selling products were whisky glasses, with the number one Classic Single Whisky Glass outselling the second placed product, the Armchair Spirits Brandy Swirler, almost twice over.
Beer also proved popular, with beer and lager glasses from the company’s Drinking Gifts collection ranking third and tenth respectively. However, red wine glasses – previously top sellers – were notably absent, and white wine glasses dropped to number seven.
Dartington says the trend for kitting out the home bar is further underlined by the fact that just two non-drinkware products – vases – made it into this latest top 10.
“We’ve been surprised by the popularity of spirit and beer glasses,” admitted marketing director Richard Halliday, “which, not only supersedes sales of our previous top sellers – Wine Master and Wine Essentials – but also supports the theory that an increasing number of us are choosing to entertain at home.
“This is demonstrative of the financial climate, with consumers rejecting costly evenings out in favour of more budget-friendly options.”
