Aperol Spritz drives up Campari’s UK sales
A first quarter sales update from the Italian-headquartered alcohol company showed UK sales were up by 13.1%.
Brands Aperol, Bulldog gin, Campari and Magnum Tonic were given a special mention in the update as drivers of success.
Premium spirits
The update bears similarity to its 2017 Q1 sales, which rose by 22.2% due to rising interest in aperitivos and premium spirits.
Campari’s north, central and Eastern European territory, which the UK falls into, saw Aperol sales rise by 21% for the period.
Gruppo Campari chief executive officer Bob Kunze-Concewitz said: “Profitability indicators showed a sustained organic growth as they benefited from a very favourable sales mix. This has been driven by the outperformance of the key high-margin combinations of brands and regions - particularly Aperol, Campari, Grand Marnier and Wild Turkey in the core developed markets.”
Last year, Pietro Mattioni, Campari’s managing director for the UK, Nordics and Eastern EU business, told The Morning Advertiser it was undeniable the Aperol Spritz moment in the UK was going to grow further, with pubs pivotal to the movement.
‘Getting it in pubs’
“The pub trade has become more important,” he said. “Globally in the [spirits] market grocers take the highest volume, but where you really make the brand is in the on-trade, so getting it present in pubs is a must.
“We’re dedicating an over-proportional amount of resources into bars and pubs versus the other segments we operate in to make sure our brands are known and that our cocktails and drinks are being served properly by the bartenders.”
Campari launched its UK office in the Shard, London Bridge, in 2014 and has built its portfolio through brand acquisitions, such as Bulldog.
