Christmas shoppers are turning their backs on pricey Champagne and reaching for Crémant instead, with M&S reporting an extraordinary surge in sales of the French sparkling wine.
The high street retailer has seen purchases of Crémant soar by more than 200 per cent as the festive party season gets underway.
The sparkling wine has become such a hit that it accounts for almost a fifth of all bubbly sold at M&S Food stores.
And M&S now expects to shift more than 650,000 bottles of the "affordable French fizz" this year alone.
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The shift shows how shoppers are finding clever ways to celebrate without breaking the bank this Christmas.
Boasting remarkable numbers, M&S has watched Crémant's share of its sparkling wine sales jump from nine per cent to an impressive 19 per cent, with the retailer now shifting more than 20,000 bottles every week.
The supermarket's bestseller, the Classics No.12 Crémant de Bourgogne at £12, has seen sales "skyrocket" by 213 per cent compared to last year.
Overall, Crémant sales across M&S Foodhalls are up 140 per cent year-on-year, with the retailer describing these wines as an "equally top-quality, great-value alternative to Champagne".
M&S expects to shift more than 650,000 bottles of the 'affordable French fizz' this year
|M&S
M&S Crémants
- M&S Classics No.12 Crémant de Bourgogne – £12
- NEW M&S Crémant d’Alsace Blanc de Blancs – £14
- M&S Étoile de Timberlay Crémant de Bordeaux – £10
- M&S Étoile de Timberlay Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé – £10
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'We're seeing more customers swap simpler bubbly for the deeper, toasty complexity of Crémant'
| M&SA new Crémant d'Alsace Blanc de Blancs at £14 has already proved popular, with 10,000 bottles flying off shelves since its launch.
For those watching their pennies even more closely, M&S offers two Crémants de Bordeaux – both white and rosé versions – at just £10 each.
The boom in Crémant comes as French wine exports face challenging times. Champagne shipments fell by 9.2 per cent in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of decline for overall French wine exports, according to the Comité Champagne.
Yet Crémant is bucking this downward trend spectacularly. Producers sold 114.5 million bottles last year, representing a 5.9 per cent increase from 2023, figures from the Fédération Nationale des Producteurs et Élaborateurs de Crémant show.
In the lead-up to Christmas, Britons are seeking out quality bubbles that don't cost the earth. With M&S predicting shoppers will buy 130,000 bottles in December alone, Crémant looks set to be the sparkling star of many Christmas celebrations this year.
The surge reflects how British consumers are becoming savvier about finding festive treats that deliver both quality and value.
Senior Wine Buyer at M&S Food, Dror Nativ MW, commented: "We're seeing more and more customers swap simpler bubbly for the deeper, toasty complexity of Crémant, which is made in the same way as Champagne but with the approachable price of Prosecco.
"It's a great midway point that gives shoppers that noticeable step up in quality without having to spend much more. With four Crémants in our range, we're seeing shoppers experimenting with different styles – from crisp blanc de blancs, to fresh and fruity rosé – and it's quickly becoming a go-to choice for everything from festive celebrations to an easy midweek treat.
"Especially in the run-up to Christmas, people are looking for great quality fizz that makes a real impact at a party but without spending Champagne money, and Crémant delivers exactly that."
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