The UK has been trading positively showing a “solid performance” with sales up 42.5% for the first nine months of 2021, Campari Group has revealed.
The drinks producer of brands including Aperol, Campari and Wild Turkey, said that UK sales were boosted by the “good brand momentum” in the on-premise coupled with sustained off-premise momentum.
It revealed that sales overall in North, Central and Eastern Europe, including the UK, were driven by Aperol, Aperol Spritz ready-to-enjoy and Campari.
Campari Group also revealed that growth in its Jamaican rum portfolio (+28.2%, +35.1% vs. the first nine months of 2019) was driven by the favourable category trends in premium rum, particularly in the US, Canada, Jamaica and the UK.
The company said that strong business performance globally for the first nine months of 2021 saw double-digit growth across all sales and profit indicators versus both 2020 and 2019, which was unaffected by Covid-19.
Globally the company reported net sales of €1,575.7 million, +27.3% organic growth versus the +22.9% for the first nine months of 2020, and +24% organic growth versus the first nine months of 2019. Group profit before taxation hit €343.3M, up +56.1%.
“In the first nine months of 2021, our strong performance generated double-digit growth across key markets and brands as well as across all key sales and profit indicators. The positive trends from earlier in the year have continued into the key summer season, thanks to a recovery in the on-premise driven by ‘revenge conviviality’ combined with sustained home consumption trends,” said Bob Kunze-Concewitz, CEO.
Kunze-Concewitz also said that the company expects the positive brand momentum and favourable sales mix to continue for the rest of the year. He said this would help to “partially offset” the intensifying input cost pressure, particularly logistics costs, accelerated brand building investments, as well as structure costs phasing.
“Looking beyond the current year, whilst uncertainty remains in connection with the evolution of the pandemic and its induced effects such as logistic constraints and intensified input cost pressure, albeit mitigated by the improving outlook for agave, we remain confident of our solid business momentum,” he added.