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Zamora smashes sales record
Spain’s Zamora Company hit record sales of €268 million in 2023 after ramping up its exports, which now account for 54% of the business.
The Cartagena-based wine group, which owns premium producer Ramón Bilbao with vineyards in Rioja and Rueda, as well as Albariño expert Mar de Frades in Rías Baixas, reached record sales in 2023 to hit its highest turnover in 77 years.
The group, which also has spirits brands Martin Miller’s Gin and Licor 43 under its wing, has seen a 1% increase on its 2022 results to reach €268 million turnover. The sum is a 21.5% boost on its 2021 (pre-pandemic) figure.
Zamora attributed the strong results to its “internationalisation strategy”, which saw the company tactically grow its export business to the point where it now represents more than half of the business. In 2023, Europe and emerging markets made up 23% of Zamora’s exports, followed by the Americas with 16% and the US specifically with 15%.
The domestic Iberia market still represents 46% of Zamora’s total business.
“We have taken the right operational and organisational decisions that have allowed us to emerge stronger from the pandemic in spite of a difficult macro-economic scenario and a slight slowdown in consumption,” said Javier Pijoan, CEO of Zamora Company, who was appointed in February 2022 following stints at Heineken and Bacardi.
Agile and flexible
Moving forward, Pijoan stressed, the focus will be strongly on its recent acquisitions: “We value the brand acquisitions we have made in recent years, which still have plenty of scope for development.”
He said that Zamora will continue to be “an agile and flexible company, as this is a competitive advantage that will allow us to navigate uncertain terrain”.
“In 2023, the company’s spirits portfolio made up 60% of the company’s sales, while wine brands accounted for 40%. While Mar de Frades currently accounts for just 6% of the company’s total sales, proactive marketing campaigns in export markets have grown awareness of the brand this year. Find out more about the producer’s work with lees ageing to change consumer perceptions of Albariño in this db exclusive.
Its Licor 43 brand topped the sales board, accounting for 41% of the company’s take in 2023, followed by Ramón Bilbao (27%), Mar de Frades (6%), Villa Massa (5%) and Martin Miller’s Gin (5%).
This year, Ramón Bilbao celebrated its centenary, with winemaker Rodolfo Bastida telling db: “What has remained steadfast is the nonconformist spirit of our founder and the entrepreneurial ethos.”
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