INTERNATIONAL. IWSR has recorded a +7% increase in duty free liquor sales in 2011, driven by strong growth in spirits. Sales of spirits, representing 72.6% of the liquor category, grew by +10% and offset stagnant wine sales, according to the IWSR Duty Free/Travel Retail Summary Report 2012.
Global travel retail liquor sales reached 27.5m cases in 2011, with Asia Pacific and the Americas accounting for most of the growth. Increasing Chinese traveller numbers helped drive up sales in a number of Asian markets, with the region’s liquor sales growing by +11.8%.
In the Americas, North American sales of US whiskey, Cognac and tequila stimulated good growth while Latin American sales continued to benefit from the regional travel boom. Good results in the Caribbean cruise sector also contributed to a +11.8% increase in Americas liquor sales.
The Americas and Asia Pacific now account for 38.2% of global duty free liquor sales, up from 36.8% in 2010.
IWSR noted that products in the super-premium segment or higher showed the fastest growth last year, while the sales growth in the premium segment was more than twice as fast as that of the standard segment.
Although wine sales were flat only Europe – representing more than 75% of all travel retail wines sales – recorded a decline. Asia Pacific and Africa both recorded strong growth in still light wines.
