Irish Distillers has revealed that Jameson Whiskey sales declined by 1% during its 2019/2020 financial year, which ended on June 30, 2020.
However, Irish Distillers said that, despite the COVID-19 crisis, Jameson experienced "solid growth" in key markets, including South Africa (+1%), Russia (+1%), the UK (+9%), Ireland (+2%), Australia (+17%) and Germany (+30%).
According to Irish Distillers, Jameson also attracted new consumers in key emerging markets, achieving double- or triple-digit growth in Nigeria (+163%), China (+48%), India (+25%) and Japan (+16%), and, within the broader Jameson family, Jameson Black Barrel experienced growth of 16% globally.
Strong Start To The Year Followed By COVID-19 Impact
Irish Distillers chairman and CEO Conor McQuaid stated, "We had a very strong start to the financial year, with sales of Jameson Irish whiskey growing by 9% in the first half of the year. The brand had its busiest December ever, selling 940,000 cases globally. But like many others around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our business. We saw growth slow in some markets and, in cases like global travel retail, come to a relative halt in the second half of the year. However, despite that, Jameson achieved growth in over 50 markets, including key markets like South Africa, Russia, the UK and Ireland, and experienced solid growth in emerging markets including Nigeria and China.
"Growth across our super premium whiskeys was led by Redbreast (+14%) and Midleton (+15%). Interest in our single pot still range has been growing year-on-year, with our portfolio leading the way in establishing the category with knowledgeable whiskey drinkers globally."
"Positive About The Future"
McQuaid added, "There is no doubt that this is a challenging business environment, however, we know from history that the Irish whiskey industry has proven itself to be very resilient. Having experienced a remarkable decade of export-led growth, we remain confident in Jameson's ability to bounce back and continue its growth trajectory. The priority over the coming months will be the health and safety of our employees as we look to effectively navigate the current environment. We continue to be positive about the future and the undoubted better times ahead."
© 2020 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
