Given the dynamic nature of the auction market in the UK for rare whisky we have asked ourselves who are the winners and losers by channel - offline/traditional v new world/online/digital.

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Who, Where, When?

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As we collect each and every sale record throughout the UK market we can analyse and interrogate and have found, not surprisingly, that on line is winning.

The chart below brings in to sharp focus the rise and rise of on line auctions making the experience and process of purchase an easy one.

We see a dramatic rise in online/digital auctions making it easy for buyers around the world to view, bid, buy and “win” bottles from the comfort of their office, bar, home.

Traditional auctioneers – like in all retail businesses – are suffering. They can't get the buyers, can't attract the sellers, have high fees driven by high fixed overheads and are running legacy processes when the world has moved in a different direction.

But where are the new sellers and buyers coming from?

So it looks like Asia is driving the market in 2014 & 2015

More bottles are going to more buyers in Asia with Europe declining significantly and North America dropping a little.

Is this the fine wine buyer moving out of wine and in to whisky? Or adding whisky to their wine portfolios?

Is this likely to be a trend for the future?

But in 2016 Europe bounces back and Asia retraces…

Using data from Whisky Auctioneer in Perth – we see a strong recovery for Europe as whisky collectors, connoisseurs and investors track down and acquire their trophy bottles.

North America continues to decline in market share – albeit in a rising market.

However, the Asian based buyers are much less active and account for a smaller market share in 2016 v 2015 and even 2014. Could the market appeal be cooling for Asian buyers? Are less of the “right” bottles appearing on the market?

A dynamic market, ever changing…exciting!

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