Grant plans exclusive travel retail store

William Grant & Sons has unveiled ambitious plans to create a stand alone store in travel retail selling rare and vintage single malts called The Collector’s Corner. Peter Eves, regional manager Europe explains, “it is our responsibility as the category leader to create an innovative new retail concept.”

The Collector’s Corner will stock a range of products from other suppliers, through William Grant’s Glenfiddich and Balvenie brands will unsurprisingly be given substantial prominence. The concept will incorporate a range of aged products with “full sampling and ambassadorial support available at all times” (financed by the company) and plasma and touch screen TVs to allow travellers to access further information and a distillery tour.

Eves explains that the company is already at an advanced stage of negotiations with leading UK travel retailer World Duty Free, with the intention of installing a Collector’s Corner in the new Heathrow Terminal 5 when it opens next year. Discussions are also underway with DFS, the highly-regarded Asian operator with flagship operations in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. In the first year of roll out the company aims to open three corners in the UK, three in Asia, one in the Americas and one in the Indian subcontinent.

Glenfiddich outsells the second and third ranked single malts in travel retail by more than double, and commands over 25% of global single malt sales. The massive inventory of aged whiskies laid down by the family-owned company means that it will have large quantities of aged product readily available to satisfy growing consumer demand.