2026-06-12
Mary Portas, the British retail consultant known as the “Queen of Shops,” told wine and spirits executives in London this week that the industry needs to stop focusing on moving bottles and start creating experiences that give consumers a sense of pleasure, ritual and connection at a time when alcohol consumption is under pressure.
Speaking as the keynote guest at the annual conference of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association on Wednesday, Portas said drinks businesses are operating in what she described as one of the hardest business climates she has seen. Her message to producers, retailers and brand owners was that weaker demand and rising anti-alcohol sentiment should not push the trade into a defensive posture. Instead, she said, companies should think less about selling products and more about how they fit into people’s lives.
Portas argued that consumers no longer want what she called “palaces of stuff.” They want sensory experiences, stories and moments that feel meaningful. In her view, that shift matters especially in a period when households are watching spending more closely and choosing carefully where to spend discretionary income. For wine merchants, bars and spirits brands, that means earning a place in consumers’ routines by offering something more memorable than a transaction.
Her remarks come as parts of the drinks industry face softer consumption, tighter household budgets and growing public debate over health. Portas said those pressures do not mean people stop spending altogether. They become more selective. Businesses that understand what excites their customers, she said, are better placed to hold or gain market share even in difficult conditions.
She urged the trade to reclaim a position around pleasure rather than respond only to negative headlines about alcohol. Portas pointed to social rituals around drinking wine as part of a broader experience of connection and enjoyment. She also suggested that in tougher economic periods, affordable indulgences can remain resilient because consumers still look for small pleasures they can justify.
That idea could have wider implications across wine, beer and spirits if spending remains constrained. In a market shaped by price sensitivity, producers and sellers may find that emotional appeal, hospitality and ritual help support demand when volume growth is harder to achieve. The argument is not that experience replaces product quality, but that it can make a bottle feel relevant in everyday life.
Portas said creativity, rather than large capital spending, is often what moves businesses forward. She cited examples from outside the drinks world, including bookstores and food retailers that have built loyalty by making customers feel something through atmosphere, expertise and presentation. She also described wine businesses she had visited that used tastings, music and food pairings to turn shopping or discovery into an occasion.
Her point was that independent wine retail in particular should ask what online marketplaces cannot offer. The answer, she said, is human connection, personality, sensory engagement and real knowledge. Those qualities may become more important as digital convenience continues to shape consumer habits.
Portas also criticized what she sees as a lack of diversity in how the drinks trade presents itself. She said wine and spirits remain male-dominated industries at a time when culture is changing and audiences are broadening. In her view, there is a missed opportunity when the people telling the story of wine and spirits do not reflect the full range of consumers they hope to reach.
She contrasted that with sectors such as beauty and wellness, which she said have been more effective at speaking to emotion, self-care and identity. For drinks companies trying to connect with younger adults or occasional drinkers, that gap may matter as much as pricing or packaging.
Social media was another area where Portas said the trade is falling short. She argued that many independent businesses in other sectors have built strong followings through personality-led communication online. Wine and spirits already have heritage, humor and expertise to draw on, she said, but too few brands use those strengths boldly enough.
She also pointed to practical issues in retail operations. As an example, she mentioned a neighborhood wine shop in Primrose Hill that closes on Friday and Sunday evenings despite heavy foot traffic at those times. Understanding when customers want to engage with a business is basic, she said, and often inexpensive to fix.
Even so, Portas stressed that none of these ideas matter if the product itself is weak. Quality remains essential. But once that standard is met, she said the challenge is to place wine or spirits naturally into daily rituals and social occasions rather than treat them as commodities.
Her broader argument was that the drinks trade has strong raw material to work with: heritage, craftsmanship, sensory depth and social meaning. What it often lacks, she suggested, is a way of communicating those strengths in language consumers can feel. For an industry dealing with declining consumption in some markets, her message was clear: businesses may need to sell not just what is in the glass, but why opening it matters.