Macallan sets new travel retail record

Dubai-based retailer, Le Clos, has sold a collection of The Macallan Fine and Rare spanning 1937-1990 for US$500,000 – a new sales record in travel retail.

Sold to an Asian collector, this latest sale, as well as 16 bottles of The Macallan from 1937-1990, also included a bottle of the 1946 Select Reserve and a “highly sought after” ‘The Macallan Golden Age of Travel’, which is an extremely limited edition spirit distilled in 1938 and bottled in a Lalique decanter. Only 48 exist in the world.

The sale set a new world record for the largest single sale in the travel retail sector, beating the record already set by Le Clos in January of this year.

The last record also featured The Macallan Fine and Rare, with a partial vertical spanning 1938-1974 selling for $361,000.

Le Clos said it was “proud” to have been chosen by The Macallan as a global partner and to have been given the collection to sell in its flagship store.

Iain Delaney, chief operating officer of Le Clos’ parent company, Maritime & Mercantile International, said: “This sale is testament to the hard work and passion of the Le Clos team in delivering an extraordinary service coupled with an outstanding range and levels of knowledge which are exceptional in any global context and unrivalled in the world’s airport duty free environment, no matter how big or small their purchase.”

Edrington Group’s travel retail commercial manager for the Middle East & Africa, Florence Chevallier, added: “There is no ordinary Macallan sale at Le Clos; yet this record-breaking sale is an outstanding example. Connoisseurship, sophistication, dedication… Le Clos shares The Macallan’s values in creating a distinctive experience for its customers. It is this commitment to excellence by Le Clos that aligns so well with The Macallan brand, our precious liquid and the mastery behind every single drop.”