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<\/p>\nThe latest shipment figures from the Comit\u00e9 Champagne confirm that, for the first time since 2021, the UK market is back in growth.<\/p>\n
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Shipments to the UK rose by 1.9% in 2025 to 22.7 million bottles. This follows several consecutive years of decline after volumes peaked at nearly 30 million bottles in 2021 \u2013 a high widely attributed to post-pandemic demand.<\/p>\n
A recovery in the UK had been widely anticipated by leading importers, many of whom have pointed to Champagne\u2019s relative resilience compared with other alcoholic drinks categories, several of which continue to face declining demand.<\/p>\n
Richard Billett, managing director of Maisons Marques et Domaines (the UK distributor for Champagne Louis Roederer), struck a cautiously optimistic tone. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely not doom and gloom,\u201d he told the drinks business.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are down from a peak in \u201922 and \u201923, but we are up on \u201924,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Billett reported a 9% increase in UK volume sales for 2025, following a 6% decline in 2024, placing current performance between 2023 and 2024 levels. He also highlighted a shift in market dynamics: \u201cOver the past 12 months, the focus has been on volume; 24 months ago, it was about value.\u201d<\/p>\n
A key factor supporting demand has been what he described as \u201cpricing stability,\u201d even as producers absorb rising costs. These include higher duty rates, the UK\u2019s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging scheme, and increased expenses for labour, energy, and \u2013\u00a0most significantly \u2013 grapes from the 2021 and 2022 harvests, which underpin current releases.<\/p>\n
Despite these pressures, Billett pointed to \u201creasons to be cheerful,\u201d citing growth across the range, including Roederer\u2019s Collection multi-vintage blend and its prestige cuv\u00e9e, Cristal.<\/p>\n
A similarly positive message came from Adam Guy, managing director of Champagne Laurent-Perrier UK, who said the brand has \u201cdone very well\u201d in 2025 and \u201cbeaten the market.\u201d<\/p>\n
In hospitality, Guy reported \u201cgood momentum\u201d behind the house\u2019s premium products, alongside \u201csome good wins in the on-trade.\u201d More broadly, he noted that Champagne is outperforming many other drinks categories, while acknowledging ongoing cost pressures and market uncertainty.<\/p>\n
At Champagne Bollinger, managing director Charles-Armand de Belenet also described 2025 as a strong year, \u201cpositive in both value and volume,\u201d driven in part by the success of a James Bond limited edition release.<\/p>\n
He said the decision to price the limited edition in line with Bollinger Special Cuv\u00e9e helped reward loyal customers while adding appeal through presentation.<\/p>\n
However, he cautioned that the premium segment is \u201csuffering,\u201d reflecting broader weakness in the fine wine market. By contrast, the Brut NV category continues to perform well, supported by promotional activity in markets including the UK.<\/p>\n
\u201cChampagne remains highly desirable,\u201d he said. \u201cWith the right promotional strategy, it works.\u201d<\/p>\n
Champagne Pol Roger has also reported record UK sales of its Brut NV. According to UK managing director James Simpson MW, volumes surpassed previous highs \u201cby quite a long way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reflecting on long-term trends, he added: \u201cWe seem to have trained the UK consumer to continue to drink Champagne.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UK\u2019s improved performance means it now accounts for 15% of total Champagne exports, up from 14.6% in 2024. This increase is partly due to a slowdown in shipments to the US, where oversupply has weighed on demand.<\/p>\n
Excess stock in the US in 2025 is largely attributed to a surge in shipments at the end of 2024, as producers rushed to send inventory ahead of Donald Trump\u2019s January inauguration amid fears of potential tariffs.<\/p>\n
Globally, eight of Champagne\u2019s top 10 export markets recorded growth in 2025, with only the US and Italy in decline.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the domestic French market continues to contract. Some within the region suggest that a meaningful recovery in overall demand will depend on renewed consumption at home.<\/p>\n
However, with Champagne prices now around 25% higher than before the pandemic, many believe the category has moved beyond everyday consumption. French drinkers are increasingly turning to more affordable sparkling alternatives such as Cr\u00e9mant, Prosecco and even ros\u00e9 wines.<\/p>\n
Back in the UK, growth is not evenly distributed across all segments. Prestige cuv\u00e9es have declined sharply, with volumes falling by nearly one-third year-on-year \u2013 from just under 600,000 bottles in 2024 to 478,000 in 2025.<\/p>\n
By contrast, Extra Brut styles (including vintage and non-vintage) have grown by 20.4%, making them the fourth most popular category in the UK after Brut, ros\u00e9 and cuv\u00e9e sp\u00e9ciale.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Brut Non-Vintage continues to dominate UK shipments, rising from 18.1 million bottles in 2024 to almost 18.9 million in 2025.<\/p>\n
This growth is widely attributed to promotional pricing by leading Champagne brands in UK retail, particularly in the run-up to Christmas 2025.<\/p>\n
As previously reported by db, the number of bottles of Champagne shipped worldwide, including the domestic market, totalled 266m in 2025 \u00ad\u2013 representing a decline of 5m bottles, or a drop of 2% on the previous year.<\/p>\n
The figures show that in terms of volumes shipped, Champagne has now reached the lowest level of the past 20 years, except for the anomalous 2020, when the first wave of Covid-related lockdowns saw shipments drop to 254m bottles from almost 300m the year before.<\/p>\n
The majority of the decrease in 2025 volume shipments was due to France, which is Champagne\u2019s largest single market and suffered a drop of almost 4m bottles from 118.2m in 2024 to 114m over the last year.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the situation, Bollinger\u2019s Charles-Armand de Belenet said, \u201cThe main challenge is decreasing Champagne consumption in France, which has fallen by 50 million bottles in the past few years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Such is the scale of this decrease, he said it was \u201calmost impossible\u201d for export markets to offset the drop-off, and hence the continued overall decline in shipment totals for Champagne.<\/p>\n
Shipments of Champagne to the UK: 1996-2025<\/p>\n
Year
\nShipments (in volume, bottles)
\nShipments (in value, Euros)<\/p>\n
1996
\n20,240,883
\n195,149,800<\/p>\n
1997
\n22,420,435
\n228,985,804<\/p>\n
1998
\n24,389,908
\n265,975,489<\/p>\n
1999
\n32,419,931
\n384,420,191<\/p>\n
2000
\n20,578,553
\n268,126,968<\/p>\n
2001
\n25,082,243
\n307,806,000<\/p>\n
2002
\n31,690,734
\n369,758,403<\/p>\n
2003
\n34,479,068
\n408,778,057<\/p>\n
2004
\n34,936,891
\n434,303,085<\/p>\n
2005
\n36,379,105
\n471,256,122<\/p>\n
2006
\n36,801,216
\n495,509,404<\/p>\n
2007
\n39,052,278
\n542,272,542<\/p>\n
2008
\n35,997,252
\n519,004,060<\/p>\n
2009
\n30,517,461
\n406,208,065<\/p>\n
2010
\n35,494,489
\n455,017,615<\/p>\n
2011
\n34,533,887
\n468,273,213<\/p>\n
2012
\n32,450,435
\n465,066,361<\/p>\n
2013
\n30,786,727
\n447,241,655<\/p>\n
2014
\n32,675,232
\n477,296,552<\/p>\n
2015
\n34,155,288
\n512,219,921<\/p>\n
2016
\n31,189,040
\n440,341,078<\/p>\n
2017
\n27,762,045
\n415,196,133<\/p>\n
2018
\n26,769,192
\n406,276,451<\/p>\n
2019
\n27,158,031
\n433,248,156<\/p>\n
2020
\n21,270,195
\n338,351,474<\/p>\n
2021
\n29,654,499
\n501,364,384<\/p>\n
2022
\n27,656,088
\n544,301,624<\/p>\n
2023
\n25,534,935
\n550,236,144<\/p>\n
2024
\n22,308,00
\n518,726,000<\/p>\n
2025<\/p>\n
22,727,851 (+1.9% vs 2024)<\/p>\n
488,088,000 (-5.9% vs 2024)<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
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