
Introduction: In his first interview as William Grant & Sons (WGS) Managing Director Global Travel Retail, Rufus Parkinson talks about the spirits company’s prospects in Asia Pacific and how it is leveraging opportunities in India. He also discusses Wildmoor, the company’s newest blended Scotch whisky brand, and the importance of delivering fun retail experiences to the travelling consumer.
Talking to The Moodie Davitt Report during his first-ever showing at the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition (12-16 May), Parkinson says: “This is my first Singapore show so it’s great to have the opportunity to focus on the Asia Pacific region and the customers here.
“I’m very happy and humbled to take on this new role,” Parkinson adds. “Travel retail is the most dynamic channel in the drinks industry and enables you to do things you can’t do in other locations.
“In terms of brand-building opportunities and the amount of innovation that comes through this channel, it’s clear that everyone has upped their game. Whether it be from the brand or retailer side, everyone is looking for new ways to engage with consumers and moving away from static retail into something more fun and interactive. We’ve got a clear vision of where we want to get to so it’s an exciting time to be here.”
What exactly is that clear vision? Parkinson explains: “We’re primarily a malts and premium gin business. Through Glenfiddich and Balvenie we have two incredible brands to deliver premium malts in APAC, where consumer demand is particularly strong.
“How we tell the stories of our brands and introduce them in the right way to travelling consumers are driving our conversations with retailers and are reflective of what we’re seeing on the shop floor. We want travellers to have ‘wow moments’ when they interact with our brands. We want them to have products that are relevant to them and have fun when engaging with our immersive and interactive retail experiences.”

Fun retail experiences and locally relevant concepts
WGS is no stranger to delivering fun and memorable retail experiences, with its recent Hendrick’s Gin Perfumery pop-up taking travel retail by storm. The Gin Perfumery pop-up debuted in Frankfurt in 2023 and has just concluded its run at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, where it delighted travellers with its ‘Embrace the Peculiar’ messaging and eccentric retailtainment features.
The travel retail-exclusive Glenfiddich Perpetual Collection, WGS’s biggest launch of 2021 and its biggest travel investment in the last ten years, was another shining example of its willingness and commitment to bring fun to the channel.
Parkinson says: “Through the summer, you’ll see a lot of Hendrick’s animations that play on the quirkiness and playfulness of the Hendrick’s brand universe with things like canoes, forests and flamingos appearing. In fact, it’s already live in Sydney and you’ll see more and more of that in the summer months.
“For Monkey Shoulder, expect to see a dynamic campaign with disco balls and DJs. This project appeals to younger consumers who have an alternative view of what whisky should be, especially as you move into the malts segment.

“In terms of Glenfiddich and Balvenie, we’ve just opened a shop-in-shop in Incheon International Airport with Shinsegae Duty Free. With this we’re delivering a lot more luxury cues and personalised gifting, which is very relevant for that market. We’re not just running a name on a label or an engraving but instead we’re offering a traditional Korean gift, which adds sense of place and cultural relevance too.”
Following that first shop-in-shop, William Grant & Sons is opening stores with The Shilla Duty Free and Ever Rich Duty Free in Taipei as well as other top airport locations in global travel retail.
“Because we’re trying to make these concepts locally relevant, we’ve partnered with Ospree Duty Free to launch a shop-in-shop in Mumbai which is fun and broadly appealing and not just about luxury. It’s very interactive, filled with sensorial elements, digital screens and Brand Ambassadors to bring our brands to life.”

The India opportunity
One of the clear learnings from the TFWA Asia Pacific Conference and Singapore and the APTRA India Conference was that India, with its huge middle-class population, is a land full of untapped potential in travel retail, particularly the spirits category.
Commenting on the India opportunity, Parkinson says: “We’re doing extremely well in India with Glenfiddich the leading malt in the market. With Monkey Shoulder we have the perfect stepping stone into malts. Whisky is rising but malts are doing especially well and when Indian consumers want to experience malts, the first brand they go to is Monkey Shoulder.
“We’re talking about a relatively small step up in terms of price for a malt, which appeals to the younger demographic which India is dominated by. With Glenfiddich we can then take these consumers into the discovery of the single malts category. We’ve put a lot of investment into that market and I think the retailers themselves such as Delhi Duty Free, Ospree and Avolta are stepping up their game, which is very promising for the region.”
Wildmoor – Scotland in a Glass


In April, William Grant & Sons launched blended Scotch whisky brand Wildmoor, offering seven expressions ranging from 21 Year Old to 40 Year Old, with two travel retail exclusives: Waking Forest 23 Year Old and Tropical Coast 30 Year Old.
Wildmoor made its travel retail debut with a month-long (23 April-23 May) high-profile activation at Singapore Changi Airport in partnership with Lotte Duty Free. Wildmoor was exclusively available at Lotte Duty Free’s shops at the airport during the promotion.
The immersive activation transported travellers to the rugged landscapes of the Scottish countryside, from which Wildmoor takes its inspiration. The multi-sensory space invited travellers to escape into a biophilic oasis through sights, sounds and touch culminating in a whisky-tasting and food-pairing experience at the pop-up bar.
This will be followed by animations with King Power in Thailand; China Duty Free Group in China; and The Shilla Duty Free and Shinsegae Duty Free in South Korea throughout the summer.

According to IWSR, luxury blended whiskies are gearing up for a major resurgence and Wildmoor is WGS’s answer to that demand. Parkinson says: “Wildmoor is inspired by the landscapes of Scotland and the flavour profiles you have across Scotland. The whisky is all about letting you escape into the Scottish countryside. We all have busy lives and Wildmoor is all about taking a moment to yourself to explore the wild side of nature.

“IWSR numbers at that level are extremely strong and Wildmoor was designed to bring these younger consumers into the WGS portfolio. Through Wildmoor, we’re looking to see how we can move into the premium blended scotch space by providing a different option with fantastic liquids as well. We have a 23 Year Old, a 30 Year Old, which are travel retail exclusives; and a 40 Year Old, which is also available in domestic markets.
“The 23 Year Old is a sherry finish, the 30 Year Old is inspired by the coasts of West Scotland with a Caribbean rum finish, while the 40 Year Old is a Pedro Ximenez whisky.”
Digital, quiet luxury and discovery

Offering his insights into the biggest trends influencing the spirits category in Asia Pacific travel retail, Parkinson highlights digital, quiet luxury and exclusivity. “On the one side, everyone is saying digital as APAC travellers are much more tech-savvy and are using digital pre-, during and post-journey. You must be present digitally and that means not just in social but also in the airport and at the point-of-sale. People expect that interaction and we’re doing a lot of that. For instance, when you pick up a bottle at one of our new wall bays the screen will tell you all the information about that whisky.
“We’re seeing a shift of Asian consumers, particularly in China, moving away from noisier to quieter luxury,” he adds. “They want to know more about the product story and it’s no longer about showing a brand or label – that’s where longevity is and that makes us very well placed to leverage that trend.
“Finally, it’s about discovery. When travellers go on a journey, they want to find something new and exciting and that’s why exclusivity plays a big role in our channel.”
What would be your favourite drink in the WGS portfolio? “If you pin me down, I will say the Balvenie 21 Year Old is a beautiful product. Our Silent Pool Gin is also unique because of the honey flavours. Plus, the texture and mouthfeel are amazing.” |
On WGS’s prospects in APAC, Parkinson says: “We’re growing very well and we’re seeing that growth continuing. We’re only scratching the surface in terms of malts so there’s lots of room to grow.
“Our biggest priorities are to deliver more exciting exclusives, building more retailtainment and engagement at the point-of-sale, getting our malt brands to stand out in top airport locations. We’ll continue to bring innovation to the channel. We’re also dialling up how we understand the shopper, whether that’s through shopper research or how we leverage data. That’s a key part for us in maintaining our relevance on both the local and global level.
According to Parkinson, WGS’s approach into gaining market share and winning in Asia Pacific can be summed up in one word: fun. “It’s all about delivering a fun and exciting discovery experience. This is an exciting channel it’s our responsibility as brands and our retail partners to make sure we deliver a positive experience to our customers.
“I think that’s where we need to focus and keep moving forward, introduce new concept and products that keep consumers front and centre.” ✈
