The UK retailer has undertaken one of the largest reviews of its BWS years, stripping out 200 wines and adding in more variety at the top end. The range now comprises around 600 wines in total.

BWS category director Drew Tiffin said the changes had been built on the work done two years ago, when Asda stripped out 8% of its wines and simplified its own label range, introducing the Wine Atlas range to tempt customer to explore different regions and varieties. The key to the change was not in the lines cut, but in the overall shape of the revamped portfolio, which marked a “sea change” for the retailer, he said.

“This is the big year for wine, where we’ve pulled back on lines, but the key to this is that we won't’ be reducing choice, we are reducing duplication, as we are adding in lines too,” he told db.

“We’ve been fat in the lower end and mid-tier and light in the higher tier and more premium wines,” Tiffin explained to db. “And although we can switch the customer from one Pinot Grigio to another to another, the reality is that we can give customers exactly what they want with a fewer number of SKUs while offering choice and credibility at the higher end that we traditionally have.”

It has also added a selection of branded and exclusive wine cases in store, which Tiffin described as a “bold move”, but one that is in line with the way customers shop.

Part of the refresh includes the Wine Atlas range, which has been revamped to add in more wines, while others have been moved into the Extra Special premium own label range. “It is a range that is all about a sense of discovery, so it needs to be constantly new and innovative,” wine buying manager Ed Betts explained.

Betts pointed to the Wine Atlas Carménère, which had proved so popular that the team has added a more premium version into the Extra Special range.

Read More at source: The Drinks Business