barware Growth in home bars boosts sales for RTA Wine Racks
The growth in home bars is given as one reason by British wine rack manufacturer RTA for its 35% increase in sales over the last year, as the company continues to invest in its Norfolk factory to meet demand for its FSC-certified wooden racks. Here, Gareth Till, sales director at RTA, shares some market insights with Housewares.
ccording to Gareth, there has been a real marked increase in interest in home bars and in-home consumption, particularly during lockdown.
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“When it wasn’t possible for people to go out to pubs, bars and restaurants with lockdown in place all around the country, they quite naturally turned to consuming it at home,” he explained. “But more than just having a few bottles of wine on the kitchen counter, some have turned to trying to replicate the pub or bar experience at home, with the installation of home bars. If they haven’t gone quite that far then they have been buying more bottles in bulk. That’s where our freestanding modular wine racks have been doing particularly well – our most popular models are the pre-assembled 9-, 12- and 16-bottle sizes and we have formats that are great for space-saving including our 27-bottle which is perfect for under the stairs.”
For those who really take their wine seriously – another increasing trend during lockdown – RTA has a large 90-bottle rack called, fittingly, The Connoisseur’s Choice. “This can hold wine and standard champagne bottles and is a stunning piece to have on display,” said Gareth. “We are also seeing that element taking hold – consumers buying wine racks as a piece of furniture. The most popular choices are the Light Oak, Black Ash and Dark Pine as they work with most decors.”
‘Made in Britain’ continues to hold consumer interest
Gareth, who joined the business in February this year after 10 years in national accounts with Simplehuman, said growth was continuing - and while the interest in home bars and in-home consumption was certainly a factor, so too was the ‘Made in Britain’ and eco credentials of RTA’s traditional wooden racks.
“We have seen a real and sustained interest from retailers and consumers in our modular wine racks – they are produced in the UK, using FSC-certified wood which is hugely important, and also British steel,” said Gareth. The company sells internationally, with a strong and steady business for both kits and pre-assembled racks in Australia, US, Middle
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East and Africa, as well as with department stores in the UK and Europe for the pre- assembled product.
“Our pre-assembled racks offer retailers a great choice – the popular models are 9-, 12- and 16-bottle sizes – and a real point of difference too are our colour options, especially Light Oak, Black Ash and Dark Pine (pictured). The DIY kits are popular, but the pre-assembled offers a much better consumer experience.” RTA has recently embarked on a partnership with a new distribution platform, Ankorstore. “We are using this across the UK and Europe,” said Gareth. “It allows us to supply independents with a low minimum order value and free shipping under the Ankorstore terms.” The company is focusing on raising awareness of the brand and its eco/British- made credentials and Gareth feels there is an exciting opportunity ahead, both globally and domestically. “I joined the business because of this opportunity, a historically known brand that I felt I could help grow and develop. With my experience in distribution, national and key account management, I felt it was a good match for myself and the company. Being part of the growth of simplehuman too has given me a great insight into growing a successful brand.”
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twitter.com/Housewaresnews October 2021
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