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Pernod Ricard readies GTR editions and insists ‘conviviality’ is key

09 May 2023 By Jessica Mason

Pernod Ricard has revealed plans for travel retail exclusives and has said it believes that “conviviality” will assist in winning business.

Speaking to the drinks business, Pernod Ricard GTR group brand director Lisa McCann said that the team is hugely proud of its “Royal Salute new product developments, including Royal Coronation and the next in the Polo series” which it will be “revealing the details for in the coming weeks”. McCann also highlighted how Pernod Ricard is now throwing focus on its Chivas 13 Year Old range, boasting sherry, rum and Bourbon finishes and will be looking “to discuss our new Martell City Series editions, for Hainan and Singapore with customers,” knowing that they “will appeal to a cross-section of travellers in this region”.

McCann also told db that Pernod Ricard has recently released its Ballantine’s 40 Year Old Masterclass; an ultra-limited series of five annual releases and exceptional expressions of Ballantine’s 40 Year Old whisky” and although hinting that products will not arrive on shelf until Q4 2023 or 2024, there was a murmur that the drinks giant is readying a big reveal for its “dynamic NPD pipeline” this week.

McCann highlighted how Pernod Ricard’s objectives this year are to bring together its business units in APAC; North Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific,” and to host “meetings with retailer partners” and “new product developments that are relevant to key nationalities in Asia Pacific” as well as create what the company calls “convivial networking opportunities to drive business discussion.”

McCann stayed silent on what she anticipated Pernod Ricard’s Asia Pacific and GTR divisions might achieve in terms of growth, but observed: “This will be the first year that we have hosted our own ‘Convivial Drinks’ reception in Singapore” showing that, irrespective of the play for business across Asia, Pernod Ricard is very much investing in retaining its social edge as a company.

Specifically for its business in the east and its troubled Indian market, Pernod Ricard recently appointed Jean Touboul as its new boss for the Indian arm of its business and, in a recent drill down into its results, Pernod Ricard showed that it remained confident of “strong” fourth quarter, despite its first three months reflecting a 2.2% dip in like-for-like sales. Last month, it became clear that Pernod Ricard was facing further headaches in India, after the Delhi government refused to renew its licence to sell alcohol. However, with its plans in place to wow travellers moving through airports across Asia, there is still the sense that there is hope for the company and plenty of opportunities ahead.