Ten Brands Account For Almost 90% Of Whisky Sales

Jack Daniel’s, J&B and Ballantine’s are three best-selling whisky brands in Romania with a volume of about 2.5 million liters together or EUR50 million sales, if taking into account an average price of EUR20 per liter, ZF has calculated.

Last year’s best-selling whisky brand was Jack Daniel’s, made by Brown Forman and imported in Romania by BDG Import, a company with almost EUR40 million revenue in 2012. The brand increased by more than 11% in the last five years, but sales volumes were flat last year.

While Ballantine’s, imported by Pernod Ricard Romania was the leading whisky brand in 2007, it dropped to third in 2012, following a 12% decline year-on-year.

Whisky is the fourth best-selling spirit, after flavored spirits, vodka and brandy, losing ground to more easily mixable drinks like vodka in the last few years.

While the average whisky consumption barely reaches 0.5 liters per capita a year, consumption of vodka is twice higher, according to the latest IWSR data.

IWSR data show the segment went down 2% in volume last year.

“We estimate the downward trend of whisky [sales] at the end of 2012 will continue in 2013. The category will decline at at least the same rate as last year,” believes Dan Dobrita, sales manager of BDG Import, the largest spirits importer in Romania by business volume.

Some whisky brands, however, have had a spectacular performance over the last few years, going up by as much as 40% last year. Canadian Special Old and Jamerson made by Pernod Ricard reached sales volumes of 81,000 liters and 65,000 liters, witnessing the highest growth.

Dobrita believes Romanians do not prefer cheap whisky brands as a rule but “go for one established brand or another depending on the promotional offer”.

The market has gone down in value by almost 20% compared with 2008 and sales volumes shrank by 18%, accord to ZF’s calculations based on IWSR data.

Whereas importers dominate the whisky segment, local producers dominate the rest of the spirits market.

World’s largest companies in this business are Pernod Ricard and Diageo, battling for supremacy over a market put at more than EUR200 billion.

(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)

Top ten whisky brands by sales                                                                                  

Note: All importers verified the data received from IWSR

*Volume breakdown: Jack Daniel’s sells about 936,000 liters, Single Barrel 9,000 liters and Gentleman Jack 9,900 liters                           

Source: IWSR