After two years of very active launches across its single malt and blended whisky and white spirits brands, Bacardi Asia Pacific Travel Retail is to strategically focus on unlocking potential growth in its Scotch whisky lines this year.

 

The company says that it will also simultaneously seek to trade-up the vodka and gin categories and it plans to achieve this utilising the ‘deep insight into the Chinese traveller’ from research company CiR.

 

This apparently shows that 17m Chinese adults of legal drinking age are spirits drinkers out of the total 18m Chinese flying internationally each year.

 

SAMPLING AND EDUCATION…

In a statement, the company said: “The company will be targeting this overlap at top airport destinations in the region with a major focus on sampling and education at point of sale using the John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium and its team of brand ambassadors – adding significant trade-up success.

 

“The duty free approach will dovetail with an ambitious approach in the Chinese domestic market targeting cocktail bars and fine dining.”

 

Vinay Golikeri, Regional Director Asia-Pacific believes there is a strong opportunity to reach a major share of those born both during and since economic reform in China.

 

 

‘OLDER OPEN DOOR GENERATION…’

He said: “The older ‘open door’ generation are actively engaging with the discovery opportunity and the brand intrinsics of the six brands in our aged whisky portfolio. There is also a massive opportunity to tap into the premium white spirit home cocktail culture that’s so popular with people born post the 1990s.

 

“This group already represent over 40% Chinese LDA population with double-digit growth as more of them come of age.”

 

The company says it hopes to make inroads into this group and the $40m incremental opportunity it has identified in global travel retail with its discovery brands with shoppers at the second stage of luxury.

 

 

DUFRY LAUNCHES ‘TOTAL MALTS’ SOLUTION

It plans to achieve this following the launch of ROYAL BRACKLA highland single malt whisky 12yo, 16yo and 21yo and with DEWAR’S 15yo and DEWAR’S Ne Plus Ultra 30yo.

 

Bacardi says it launched its first total malts category merchandising solution in the region with DUFRY and this is the first activation based on its in-depth insight of whisky drinkers, with a further global roll-out planned in the coming months.

 

 

The company added: “The region also now boasts the largest ever John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium merchandising unit, a 3m-wide installation in a key Chinese border store.

 

“These are two examples of connecting with the whisky consumer for greater category growth with in-store execution to excite the APAC traveller with the range of DEWAR’S Premium blended Scotch and rare single malts.