Johnnie Walker opens Asia ‘embassies’

Diageo has opened one more “Johnnie Walker House” in China, as well as two new travel retail “theatres” in Taiwan and India.

The new “whisky embassy” has been opened in Chengdu, while new travel retail outlets have been set up in Taiwan’s Taoyuan and India’s Mumbai airports.

The three new outlets join the three existing, and extremely popular venues that have been set up in Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul since 2010.

Chengdu is the fourth largest city in China, hence Diageo’s interest in setting up a new house there, while Taiwan is one of the largest Scotch markets in Asia and Diageo has recently invested heavily in getting a foot in the door of the Indian market through the acquisition of United Spirits.

“The extension of the Johnnie Walker House concept to airport retail environments, in partnership with Diageo Global Travel, represents a significant evolution of our business model,” said Lawrence Law, Global general manager for Johnnie Walker House.

“We believe that these travel retail theatres, in addition to our growing network of flagship properties in Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, and now Chengdu, provide an avenue of engagement that truly resonates with the modern day luxury consumer.”

Meanwhile, James Thompson, global managing director for Diageo Reserve, added: “Johnnie Walker House has proven to be a remarkable addition to the Diageo Reserve portfolio and a game-changer for the luxury whisky trade.

“With Johnnie Walker House, we offer unique experiences – part education, part private club, part museum, part retail – for our consumers. In an industry where experience is key, we are proud to expand our Johnnie Walker House network to continue engaging consumers in bespoke yet unexpected ways.”