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| United Spirits records 18% volume growth | |
| BS Reporter / Mumbai January 08, 2009, 0:48 IST | |
United Spirits, the world’s third-largest spirits company, has registered a volume growth of 18 per cent in April-December 2008, despite the market slowdown. It sold 73 million cases during the financial year ending March 2008.
“All segments contributed to the growth, with the luxury and premium segments recording a higher growth at 20 and 32 per cent each, respectively,” said N R Rajsekhar, chief operating officer, western region, United Spirits.
The company’s sales for December were also robust across the country. “We recorded a volume growth of 18 per cent over November in December,” said Rajsekhar.
“In Mumbai, there was a drop in on-premise consumption in bars, restaurants and hotels. However, this was offset with an increase of 50 per cent volume growth in retail sales as people preferred partying at home,” he added.
Encouraged by good sales, the company has decided to launch bottled White and Mackay Special, priced at Rs 1,200 for 750 ml in Maharashtra. The Mumbai launch will be followed by a launch across all the key markets in India in the next one month.
“We were apprehensive of launching a new premium scotch in the present market conditions, but our sales for December have been good,” said Anant Iyer, head — trade and institutional sales, United Spirits.
The country’s six-lakh-cases bottled spirits market is growing at 32-35 per cent annually (one case consists of 12 bottles of 750 ml). “With the launch of Whyte and Mackay Special, we hope to capture 25 per cent of this market in the next 12 months,” said Iyer whose optimism is based on the fact that Whyte and Mackay Special is the largest selling scotch in Scotland.
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