Jameson sees sales soar by 18%

JAMESON Irish Whiskey enjoyed strong sales growth in the last six months of 2010 — with volumes up by 16%, year-on-year, and sales value rising by 18% — despite parent group, Pernod Ricard, failing to reach market expectations with its overall earnings.

While the French drinks group saw 14% like-for-like profit growth and 13% sales growth for the period (the first half of its financial year), it was Jameson’s progress which really caught the eye.

The brand sold more than three million cases in the calendar year of 2010; one million of these being consumed in its most important export market of the US.

“The progress of Jameson within the Pernod Ricard family of brands has been one of our company’s great success stories — growing from 466,000 cases when Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard in 1988 to one million in 1996, two million in 2006 and achieving sales of over three million in 2010,” Irish Distillers/Pernod Ricard chairman and chief executive, Alexandre Ricard said.

“This six-month period has proven to be one of the most dynamic and successful periods ever for Jameson, as it reached two key milestones on its journey to become one of the world’s top spirit brands.

“We have great ambitions for Jameson over the coming decade,” he added.

Part of that is an expansion to the brand’s warehousing and maturation capacity at a planned new development in Dungourney, Co Cork, which is currently at the planning stages.

Pernod Ricard is further getting behind the leading Irish whiskey brand by pumping more than €80m in marketing and promotional spend into the product in the group’s current financial year — which would be approximately €10m more than was spent last year.

Jameson saw significant first-half growth in a number of territories — Russia, France and Canada included — but perhaps most importantly of all enjoyed 27% year-on-year sales growth in the US, where the product was named Spirits Brand of the Year for 2010.

Mr Ricard added that the brand’s growth in its home market can also help rejuvenate the Irish economy.

“As this brand continues to grow in its 100+ markets around the world, I can only see extra job and extra benefits for the Irish economy flowing from this success,” he said.