Champagne shipments rise 0.7% in 2014

Figures released this morning have confirmed that Champagne shipments for 2014 have surpassed 307 million bottles, an increase of 0.7% on 2013, when the region sold 304m bottles worldwide.

Champagne shipments to all market rose by 0.7% in 2014

Nevertheless, the figure for 2014 is smaller than was forecasted in January this year.

As previously reported by the drinks business, with an estimated rise in Champagne shipments of 1% by volume, the appellation was expected to have sold close to 308m bottles in 2014, marking a rebound for the region which has seen annual global sales fall since 2007, when they reached a peak of 338.7m bottles.

However, while the statistics sent to the drinks business today do show the region’s sales edging upwards again, with a total of 307,132,540 bottles shipped in 2014, growth in many major Champagne markets has been offset by a decline in France, where 50% of the fizz in sold.

Indeed, the domestic market fell by 3% in 2014 to total 162,262,278 bottles, a decline of almost 5m bottles from 2013’s 167m total – which in turn was down 4m on 171.4m bottles sold in 2012.

Meanwhile, Champagne’s largest export market, the UK, increased by 6.1% in 2014 to reach 32,675,232 bottles, which the Comité Champagne said was “back to the levels of 2012”.

Second largest export market the US grew slightly more, up 7.3% to 19,152,709 bottles, while the third biggest, Germany, experienced 2% growth to 12,605,297 bottles.

Overall, shipments to EU countries other than France totaled 78,015,413, while those to emerging markets hit 66,854,849 bottles, up by 6.3 per cent.

At a glance: the figures:

Total: 307,132,540 bottles (up 0.7%)

France: 162,262,278 bottles (down 3%)

EU countries (other than France): 78,015,413 bottles (5.5%)

Emerging markets: 66,854,849 bottles (up 6.3%)

UK: 32,675,232 bottles (up 6.1%)

US: 19,152,709 bottles (up 7.3%)

Germany: 12,605,297 bottles (up 2%)