The Romanian branch of the worlda??s number three in the industry of liquors, French company Pernod Ricard, reported almost 40% higher sales for the first quarter of this year and said it added another two brands to its whisky portfolio.
a??The growth has been sustained by the positive evolution of the groupa??s strategic brands, which saw an over 50% surge, above the overall averagea??, says Corneliu VÃ¥lsan, general manager of Pernod Ricard Romania. In Romania, the company sells whisky brands Chivas Regal, 100 Pipers, Quenne Anne (bottled in Romania), and Jameson, the rum brand Havana Club, Ramazzotti Amaro bitter, Seagrama??s gin and Wyborowa vodka.
a??Our focus on strategic brands is working. Moreover, the global campaign entitled a??This is the Chivas Lifea?? we started last year, has strongly boosted sales of Chivas Regal whisky, a leader of the Deluxe segment, with whisky at least 12 years old (over 65% market share, in line with International Wine and Spirits Research British market research company)a??, maintains VÃ¥lsan.
The company for last year reported sales of more than 4 million euros, 33% up on the previous year.
VÃ¥lsan chose not to specify the value of sales for the first quarter of this year. Pernod Ricard Romania has recently launched two new whisky brands on the Romanian market: the Irish single malt Bushmills and the super-premium whisky Royal Salute 100 Cask, with a shelf price of about 290 euros (11 million ROL), available only in bars and five-star hotels.
a??The expensive drinks market is growing because there is a segment of wealthy people, wanting to be different from the others. They do not consume much, but they always have expensive drinksa??, states VÃ¥lsan. He says that the recent hike in alcohol excises from 280 euros to 410 euros per hectolitre of pure alcohol has not hurt the importersa?? sales, but hit local players instead.
a??The increased excises have not hurt importers that much because the domestic currency has become stronger at the same time, and imports became cheaper. Domestic players have been hit to a greater extent since they had to raise pricesa??, maintains VÃ¥lsan says.
Pernod Ricard has recently bid 7.4 billion Ã? (14.15 billion dollars) for Britaina??s Allied Domecq, the second largest player on the global market of liquors. The company reported Q1 sales worth 753 million euros from 704 million euros in the same period of last year. stelian.negrea@zf.ro
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