Wine and beer sales to exceed a quarter of a billion dollars this Christmas week

AUSTRALIANS will spend more than a quarter of a billion dollars on booze for Christmas — and that’s just this week. So what’s the most popular drop?

Christmas wine options downloaded from Shutterstock for Taste

AUSTRALIA loves a Christmas drink — to the tune of more than a quarter of a billion dollars of beer and wine alone this week in the lead up to the big day.

Industry data across the entire alcohol sector, taking in average weekly retail sales figures crunched upwards to take in the usual expected rise in trade before Christmas, suggests we’ll be forking out close to $180 million on beer and $150 million on wine in the final countdown before December 25.

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Drinking less but spending more ... craft and imported beers are all the rage this Christmas. Picture: Thinkstock.

While we might be drinking less beer by volume over the whole year, we’ll be spending more overall as craft and imported beer grabs buyers looking for something special over the celebration season.

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Wine buyers also tend to trade up from their usual price ranges as they seek out gifts and more premium drinks to share with family and guests, according to industry analysts IbisWorld.

“Liquor retail spending is anticipated to jump 59.4 per cent with Christmas parties driving increased demand and alcohol consumption rising over the holiday period,” IbisWorld senior industry analyst Lauren Magner says.

Last minute rush ... wine tends to be one of the last things on the Christmas shopping list. Picture: Thinkstock.

The big rush is a cultural phenomenon according to Taylors wine company owner Mitchell Taylor.

“When people plan for Christmas Day, the wine tends to be one of the last things on the shopping list,” Mr Taylor says.

“Everyone’s got a long list of things to prepare, and they spend a lot of time and energy first on gifts for their family.

“Next comes planning a big Christmas meal and preparing the shopping.

“Because wine buying can be done relatively quickly, it always comes at the end,” Mr Taylor says.

Let your hair down ... Office Christmas parties are nearly over, but retail drink purchases are only increasing as Christmas approaches. Picture: Thinkstock.

Beer sales at retail outlets are expected to top $180 million this week, based on average weekly sales data and the predicted pre-Christmas sales spike.

Sales figures from Nielsen data research group which comprises retailers BWS, Woolworths Liquor, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, First Choice and a number of smaller independent groups, but not Dan Murphy’s and many other independent stores, points to them alone selling more than $50 million of wine this week, not including Christmas Eve.

Big seller ... Around $150 million will be spent on wine this week alone. Picture: News Corp Australia.

Anecdotal evidence from retailers indicates on Christmas Eve alone the rush to buy drinks for the peak holiday period is equal to sales for the entire previous week, taking the overall wine sales figure to $150 million.

The big movers in the wine biz according to the data will be sauvignon blanc. We bought $29 million of it last summer, and sales for the white wine, much of it sourced from New Zealand, are still strong.

The next favourite wine variety is the red shiraz, which notched more than $13 million last summer.

In demand ... Australians bought more than $13 million worth of Shiraz last summer. Picture: News Corp Australia.

While Dan Murphy’s doesn’t reveal specific dollar figures, senior management insiders are predicting premium single malt whisky sales will increase 300 per cent.

The retailer expects to sell more than 30,000 bottles of 12 Year Old Chivas Regal this week, at an estimated $1.5 million turnover.

We’ll also be buying twice as much fortified and liqueur wine than usual.

The booze-frenzy quickly drops away after Christmas according to historic sales data, falling by a third in the next week leading up to New Year’s Eve.

Our drinking habits change as well. While beer sales skyrocket on Christmas Eve, we quickly move to cider and ready to drink categories two days out from December 31, a Dan Murphy’s executive said.

We also buy a lot more canned beer as festivals and camping occasions ban bottled drinks.

Originally published as Wine and beer sales to exceed a quarter of a billion dollars this Christmas week