Pernod sales climb €16m

Drinks giant Pernod Ricard announced sales growth for the first half of 2004 today in line with expectations.

Consolidated sales for the first half of 2004 increased to €1.573bn from €1.557bn for the same period last year.

In the wine and spirits sector, organic sales grew 6%. Non-wine and spirits business sales now represents just 2.8% of group sales.

Wine and spirit sales amounted to €1.528bn compared to €1.496bn for the first half of last year, rising 6% on an organic growth basis.

Second quarter sales alone increased to €824m from €783m over the same period last year, accelerating organic growth to 6.5%, following a 5.4% for the first quarter of 2004.

The Group’s 12 key brands posted a 4% increase in sales volume during the first half of 2004, due mainly to the growth of premium brands Jameson, Chivas Regal, Wild Turkey, The Glenlivet, Martell and Havana Club.

In Europe - excluding France - sales for the first half of 2004 grew by 3%. Sales grew particularly here in Ireland, as well as in Germany, Greece and the UK, with market conditions being tighter in Spain and Poland remaining difficult.

In France sales for the second quarter fell slightly resulting in 2004 first half-year organic sales growth of 1.6%.

Asia and Australasia posted excellent sales results with value rising by 13.1%, driven by Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, Martell Cordon Bleu and Martell XO in Chinese Asia.

Pernod is ranked third in the global drinks stakes after Diageo and Allied Domecq.