Dutch consumer goods and travel retail powerhouse B&S and Mark Anthony Brands International – owner of White Claw Premium Vodka, Bearface Canadian Whiskey and Glendalough Distillery whisky and gin – reflected on a year of partnership and growth in a recent interview with The Moodie Davitt Report (click below).
The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt spoke to Joris Broekmans, Global Sales Director of Duty-Free & Travel Retail for KingofReach.com by B&S, alongside Mark Anthony Brands International Market Director Spirits Ronan O’Neill, during TFWA Asia Pacific in Singapore last month.
They addressed the journey of their travel retail partnership so far – including the introduction of White Claw Vodka to the channel, covered exclusively by The Moodie Davitt Report in New York last August – plus ambitions and next steps.
Separately in Singapore, Broekmans outlined B&S’ ambitions in Asia, its localised approach and one-stop-shop ecommerce platform, at a media event.
He explained how the company has a ‘Think Different’ approach designed to drive growth and deliver value to customers based on regional needs and preferences. “Our ecommerce platform offers a hub of opportunity for both our brand partners and retail customers by creating the optimum B2B experience driven by both data and insights, combined with our regional sales teams and local solutions,” he said.
Of White Claw Vodka, O’Neill said: “Given the strength of our customer base and consumer brand loyalty, we are confident of the potential for this new offer. This proprietary distilling process results in an incredibly smooth vodka, superior to any vodka on the market and with no additives.” Along with the Premium Vodka expression, the range is offered in three Pineapple, Black Cherry and Mango flavours.
Also new to the market are two Irish gins from the Glendalough Distillery, supplementing the existing whisky collection: Wild Botanical and Wild Rose, both made using botanicals from the Wicklow Mountains. These lines are now available to travel retail markets globally.
O’Neill also highlighted the offer from Bearface Canadian Whisky and its ageing in oak casks, with maturation in repurposed shipping containers that are exposed to the elements in the Canadian wilderness.
“Our extreme northern climate amplifies how the whisky and wood interact, transforming the liquid inside for a bolder, smoother flavour,” O’Neill said.
Broekmans said that both the ecommerce proposition and the Mark Anthony Brands portfolio had been well received during the event.
“We are confident that our distribution footprint in the region will demonstrably benefit from our participation and should be in a position to announce new business agreements very soon,” he concluded. ✈
