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Irish Distillers sees demand soar as Jameson whiskey achieves record sales

Linda Stewart — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 09:25:49 +0000

A record 10.4 million cases of Jameson were sold in the year ending 30 June, according to full year results from Irish Distillers.

Sales surpassed the 10 million case mark for the first, surpassing the 8.6 million cases of Jameson sold in its previous financial year.

In Ireland, the spirits market grew by 8pc in 2021. Irish Distillers reported that sales of Jameson in Ireland rose by a fifth in its financial year to the end of June.

Almost half of Jameson cases were sold in the United States, with Irish Distillers reporting that 4.5 million cases were sold there for the first time.

Overall, Irish whiskey was the third fastest growing category in the US in 2021, selling roughly 5.9 million 9L cases

The return of travel retail also contributed to Irish Distiller’s growth across the year, with sales of Jameson in this category soaring by 157pc as demand for travel returned.

Jameson also grew in popularity in emerging markets, including India, Bulgaria and Zambia where sales went beyond the 100,000 case mark for the first time.

Irish Distillers also noted that consumers were embracing more premium products, with sales of the group’s prestige range, including Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare and Spot ranges, rising by 16pc across the year.

This was also reflected in Ireland. Prestige Irish whiskey sales rose by just over a quarter in this period.

“Our strategy has been laser-focused on growing the Jameson brand and awareness of the Irish whiskey category more generally. As the results today show, this has been incredibly successful and has solidified Jameson as a truly global brand,” chairman and CEO Nodjame Fouad said.

He acknowledged that “various issues on the global stage” are leading to uncertainty for both businesses and consumers and added “we will continue to deliver on our business strategy and ensure that we have measures in place to manage any potential challenges.”

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Nexba chooses SHS Sales And Marketing Ireland as new distributor

Linda Stewart — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 09:12:20 +0000

Nexba has appointed SHS Sales and Marketing Ireland to sell and distribute its Kombucha portfolio in Ireland.

SHS Ireland has launched the all natural sugar-free Australian drinks brand, Nexba, which provides healthy alternatives to sugar-filled soft drinks.

Matthew Connole, sales lead EU, Nexba Beverage Co. said that the recent launch marks an ‘exciting and important milestone’ as the company grows its international brand presence.

“We will be working closely with SHS Sales and Marketing to maximise current opportunities and identify areas for growth, boosting Ireland’s naturally sugar-free soft drinks category as we seek to realise the full potential of the Kombucha portfolio,” he said.

The new range of Kombucha is available in three flavours – Strawberry and Peach, Mango and Mixed Berry.

The soft drink is full of live culture probiotics and is made using the globally patented ‘Nexba Natural Sweetener Blend’, which allows each drink to be completely sugar-free and contains nothing artificial, yet retains its bold, and fruity flavours, the company noted.

According to the Australian soft drinks brand, the new range is part of the company’s ongoing agenda to ‘tackle diabetes and obesity and improve gut health in Ireland’.

Alan Neill, commercial director, SHS Sales and Marketing, said that the Nexba’s Kombucha range is “unique”.

“The naturally sugar-free soft drinks category is one of Ireland’s most dynamic FMCG markets,” he said.

“The desire to stay healthy during the pandemic has accelerated the demand for such products, as health and well-being become a priority for consumers.”

Nexba is currently available in SuperValu, Centra, Spar and independent stores nationwide.

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Wine sales fell in 2021 as hospitality reopened

Linda Stewart — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 08:46:32 +0000

Wine sales fell last year following the reopening of hospitality, industry group Drinks Ireland has revealed.

Wine sales had risen during Covid-19 lockdowns, as the likes of beer drinkers moved to the category while consuming at home.

However the return to pubs and restaurants saw that trend reverse, with wine sales down 13% in 2021 as a result.

That brought wine sales to their lowest point since 2015, according to Drinks Ireland’s Wine Market Report 2021.

White wine remained the most popular type of wine in the country, making up 48% of the market.

Wine from Chile was the most popular in the year, though French wine was the only category to see its market share increase year-on-year.

Drinks Ireland has repeated its call for a cut in excise on wine, as it said more than half of the cost of a standard bottle of wine went towards tax.

“We are calling for a 15% decrease on excise on wine over the next two budgets,” said Jonathan McDade, director of wine at Drinks Ireland.

“As the cost-of-living crisis worsens, Irish consumers face the highest excise on wine in the EU.”

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Sales of cocktails and long drinks soared 60% last year

Linda Stewart — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 09:58:13 +0000

Drinks Ireland’s latest figures show that the Ready to Drink (RTD) spirits category is set to continue growing in popularity this summer.

The category includes hard seltzers and ready to drink cocktails, many of which have hit shelves for the first time in recent years.

These drinks took the global market by storm during the Covid pandemic, with the volume of sales up by 14% in 2021 and 26% in 2020.

This trend was mirrored here, according to Drinks Ireland. Sales of cocktails and long drinks in Ireland grew by 60% last year, while hard seltzers were up by 46%.

This comes as overall alcohol consumption continues to decline in Ireland, down by 4.7% between 2020 and 2021, and 33% since 2001.

The majority of sales were imported RTD products, but a number of local producers have entered the market, with sales of Irish RTD brands up by 7.4% between 2020 and 2021.

Vincent McGovern, director of Spirits at Drinks Ireland, said that RTDs are another great innovation in the Irish spirits market that consumers have responded positively to.

“We are seeing Irish suppliers jump on this trend, and this is set to continue,” he said.

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Grocery prices up 7.7% in the past year – Kantar

Linda Stewart — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 09:05:42 +0000

This means the rate of grocery price inflation has reached its highest level since August 2008, despite a 3.1% fall in grocery spending by consumers.

The latest grocery market figures from Kantar also show that many consumers are turning to cheaper, own-brand items in an attempt to reduce the impact of inflation.

The insight company said that sales of own brand products grew by 1.5% in the 12 weeks to July 10th, representing a €19m increase in spending year-on-year.

Kantar’s research also revealed that sales of value-focused own brand products had risen by 9.7%, leading to a fall in the sale of branded products, with that category down €72m year-on-year.

Branded goods now represent 47.6% of all grocery spend, according to Kantar, compared to 49.6% in 2020.

Own brand products also proved particularly popular with online shoppers, an area that also enjoyed growth in the period. According to Kantar, online grocery sales were up 15% in the 12 weeks to mid-July.

The changes in grocery habits did result in a further tightening of market share in the period.

Kantar’s data shows that Tesco remains the biggest grocery brand by sales, with a 22% share of the market.

However Dunnes is close behind with a 21.9% share, while Supervalu holds a 21.5% stake.

Lidl, meanwhile grew its share of the market to 13.5%, while Aldi had a 12.6% share in the period.

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