Female-led, canned wine company NICE is pioneering wine innovation selling one can of wine per 10 seconds.
Growth of NICE
London-based wine startup, NICE is defining what it means to be a future wine company; the female-led team is innovating with formats, putting consumers first for their wine-drinking occasions, making wine more inclusive and less intimidating, and bringing a fresh outlook to the business of wine. With 4,000 points of sale, NICE sells a can of wine every 10 seconds; the small, ambitious team is experiencing 400% growth so far in 2022 compared with the same period in 2021. The business is forecasting sales of £5.1million in 2022 (having posted a £1.6million turnover in 2021). Distribution includes Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Amazon, WHSmith, all Virgin Atlantic flights, Wagamama, Domino’s Pizza, as well as over 30 major sports stadiums, music venues, airlines, theatres, cinemas and restaurants; you can also expect to catch NICE at over 100 festivals this summer.
NICE Canned Wine Market Share & Team Growth
Canned wine’s share of the overall off-trade (grocery) wine market has doubled in the last two years to 8%, with Nielsen reporting that the category is up 47% (+£4M) since last year, bringing the total value of canned wine in UK grocery to £12.5m. *Nielsen total market miniatures data w/c 12th March 2022. NICE is the fastest growing canned wine brand in the UK, the number one canned Rosé and the largest independent brand in still canned wine, with an overall market share of 23% of the UK off-trade still canned wine market.
NICE is leading the way in bringing canned wine to quick serve restaurants, festivals and venues; taking the last 12 months of can sales, NICE’s estimated retail sales value in the on trade is over £10 million. Harnessing the sustainable credentials and versatility of canned wine during lockdown, NICE’s growth has meant they’ve been able to go from a team of just four in 2021 to fifteen today, with 75% of the leadership team being women. With hires across sales, marketing and logistics and a new Vauxhall HQ in 2022, NICE’s growth is set to continue apace.
Expanding into Boxed Wine & Wine on Tap
Not only is the business expanding, but also the range, and with it, the innovation. NICE boxed wine launched to Ocado and Amazon at the end of 2021 offering their white, red and rosé in 2.25l boxes, catering perfectly to parties and picnics; proving to be a hit with Ocado shoppers, NICE is already the leading independent boxed wine. One of the fastest growing segments within still wines, the boxed wine category has grown by £60M since 2020, and is now worth £324m; this represents more than 5% of all wine sold in supermarkets. *Source: Nielsen total market still wines data w/c 12th March 2022.
With NICE canned wine already popular in fast casual dining, restaurant delivery and pubs, the brand has recently launched 20 litre keg wine on tap with Boxpark Shoreditch and Newcastle Central Park. Having NICE on tap enables sites to improve speed of service, save on space, eliminate waste and offers a smaller carbon footprint than glass.
