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Summary of our market study
The French rum market is estimated at between 700 and 750 million euros.
The global rum market is expected to grow by a significant 10% in sales volume between 2020 and 2021, reaching 150.6 million 9L cases sold in 2021.
The global spirits market is valued at $145 billion, with annual growth of 6%.
Rum accounts for 14% of spirits sales in France in terms of both value and volume.
The French overseas departments continue to be the driving force behind production, accounting for 80% of volumes, thanks to a favorable tax regime compared with mainland France.
Distribution is still largely handled by supermarkets, although online sales have increased, with 24% of spirits purchases made online.
In a market where white rums dominate, followed by amber rums, there has been a notable increase in the popularity of spiced rums.
Rum is one of France's favorite spirits, with a consumption volume of almost 40 million liters a year .
This makes rum the third most consumed spirit in the country. Rum drinkers have a relatively younger and more feminine profile than other spirits such as whisky.
The growing popularity of cocktails, with rum-based preparations such as the Mojito becoming French favorites, has given a major boost to the rum market.
Established brands and innovative pioneers
- La Martiniquaise, a leading company
- Havana Club, world leader of Cuban origin
- Captain Morgan
- Old Nick
- Saint Jamesté
- RhumRhum - represents the innovative spirit of new independent distillers.
- A1710 - highlights the niche of artisanal distillation.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Presentation and definition of the rum market
The rum market in France refers to the economic activity related to the production and sale of rum.
Rum is a brandy originating in the Americas, produced from sugar cane.
The rum market is a sub-segment of the spirits market: drinks made from distilled alcohol. There are two types of spirits:
- simple" spirits (rum, whisky, gin, vodka), whose taste is linked to the distillation of the raw material
- compound" spirits, such as aniseed-flavored aperitifs or liqueurs, whose taste is derived from the addition of aromatic substances to a neutral alcohol or brandy. Rum is consumed as a beverage or in cooking.
There are different categories of rum:
- white rums
- amber rums
- aged rums
- spiced rums
The global spirits market is dominated by North America, followed by Western Europe. The white spirits and rum category accounts for a very large share of the global spirits market. The global rum market is growing and is set to remain so in the years ahead, largely dominated by a few international brands.
Like the global market, the French rum market is also dominated by international spirits giants. However, it remains attractive to new independent players such as RhumRhum and A1710. The French market is growing in both volume and value. given the specificities of the French tax system, spirits production is concentrated in the French overseas departments and territories. Distribution is largely organized through supermarkets.
White rums dominate the market, followed by amber rums. The spiced rum segment, while representing only a marginal share of the market, is one of the most dynamic.
In France, the rum market is stable, with a slight decline of -1% between 2020 and 2021. It is the spirit with the highest sales, ahead of vodka, liqueurs and gin.
The market leaders in France are Captain Morgan, followed by Old Nick and Saint James. Inthe same year, France's main rum export customers were the United States andGermany (13% each of total exports).
The rum market is very dynamic and highly popular with the French, as it is the third most consumed spirit.
It can rely on the cocktail trend , which is helping to renew rum's image and stimulate demand. In fact, this is one of the main lines of communication used by the major rum brands on the French market.
1.2 The global rum market is growing
The global spirits and rum market
The spirits industry was hit hard by the restrictive measures imposed by the pandemic: the ban on going out and the absence of festive or social occasions led to a drop in spirits sales and consumption. In ****, the sector began to recover, and market growth ...
1.3 Key figures for the domestic market
The French spirits market
In France, rums account for a high proportion of supermarket sales, representing almost *% of all spirits sold in supermarkets , as shown in the chart below.
Breakdown of spirits sales by volume in supermarkets France, ****, in FFS
This figure doubles when we consider consumption in CHR (***), rising to ...
1.4 Foreign trade in rum
French rum imports
Rum will account for almost *.*% of total imports of spirits and liqueurs in ****.
french rum imports by value in **** France, ****, in Source: ****
Rum imports rose by nearly **% between **** and ****.
In addition, we can see France's main rum suppliers below.
France's main rum suppliers France, ****, in % of total value Source: ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Demand for spirits and rum in France
Overview of spirits consumption in France
Consumption of spirits has fallen sharply in recent years. In ** years, per capita consumption of pure alcohol has fallen from *.** liters per person in **** to *.** liters per person in ****, under the influence of public policies to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol. Spirits consumers ...
2.2 Demand drivers
The spirits segment is becoming increasingly attractive to French consumers, thanks in particular to the emergence of cocktails. Spirits selection criteria Price and productexperience remain the two main criteria for choosing a spirit. Recommendations from friends and family and the variety of consumption methods (***) are more important than in **** when choosing ...
2.3 France's favourite rum brands
below are the sales volumes of the top ** rum brands in France at supermarkets. The best-selling brand is Captain Morgan from the Moët Hennessy Diageo group.
Volume sales of the top ** rum brands in supermarkets France, ****, in thousand liters Source: ****
Among these different brands, we can analyze which are preferred ...
2.4 Cocktail consumption on the rise
Cocktail consumption is booming : according to a **** survey, **% of French people were consuming spirits in cocktails. Furthermore, in ****, **% of those surveyed said they were interested in mixology, -* points compared to **** [***] .
In ****, **% of French people consumed cocktails only away from home, and **% consumed them both at home and away from ...
2.5 Demand in the French West Indies
Stable rum consumption
Consumption of traditional rum in Martinique is a stable element within the alcohol consumption picture. Rum accounts for by far the largest share of consumption (***).
Breakdown of alcohol consumption Martinique, **** - ****, in LAP : Source: ****
In Guadeloupe, consumption of hard alcohol is significantly higher than in mainland France. Where ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Industry forces and organization
Numerous players are involved throughout the chain before the rum reaches the end consumer:
The first players in this chain are the farmers or agricultural cooperatives, and the distillers (***); Eaux-de-vie and spirits manufacturers then carry out additional production stages; Intermediaries (***) provide the link between manufacturers and distributors; Three types of distributor ...
3.2 Production concentrated overseas
The rum production value chain can be seen below:
Source: ****
The detailed production process
We can generally distinguish between rums made from the distillation of cane juice (***) and those made from molasses. Obtained by crushing sugar cane, cane juice deteriorates rapidly: the producer must ferment it very quickly, then distill it. ...
3.3 Distribution
We can see that the distribution of alcoholic beverages takes place mainly in physical areas (***), as mentioned above.
Online rum distributors, concentrated on exceptional products, appear negligible in terms of overall sales volume. **% of rum sales are made in supermarkets, and **% in the on-trade.
Market digitalization underway
Despite a significant decline, ...
3.4 Increasing competition
The rum segment is highly competitive.
Leaders are keeping up a steady pace of innovation to maintain their market share, which is leading to ever-increasing competition.
for example, Captain Morgan, number one in the sector with spiced rums, is attacking the white rum segment with Captain Morgan White, to compete with ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Types of rums on offer
Rums can be segmented in different ways: industrial rums vs. agricultural rums age imported rums vs. rums specific to DROMs These rums can be used for a variety of purposes: disgorging or as a base for cocktails Types of rums Characteristics Examples of brands White rums White rum is light in ...
4.2 A more premium and environmentally-friendly rum offering
According to an IPSOS study, nearly **% of buyers say they attach greater importance than in the past (***) and environmental aspects.
These changes in consumer attitudes are directly reflected in emerging trends in the French rum offer.
A desire to move upmarket: premiumization of rums
A not inconsiderable proportion of consumers aspire ...
4.3 Rising prices
We can see that the price per bottle has risen steadily over the ****-**** period, from €**.* to €**.**.
The craze for the product and the quest for higher-quality consumption have logically led to a substantial price increase, amounting to **.**% over the period.
it should be noted that the introduction of the Social ...
4.4 Martinique rum
An essential market
While Martinique's sugar cane production is one of the mainstays of the island's agri-food economy, rum production is another. This sector alone accounts for **% of the added value of the island's food industry, and sugar cane is the island's second most important agricultural crop after bananas.
Over the ...
4.5 Old rum price range
Bottled aged rums
The price of bottles of aged rum varies widely, depending on the brand, the year of production, the degree of alcohol present and the length of ageing. Bottles can be found on the market for as little as €**, with the rarest and most upmarket priced at almost €*,***. Here's ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Current regulations
France is concerned by European regulations. In particular, the following regulations are central:
Regulation (***) No ***/**** of the European Parliament and of the European Council of January **, **** on the definition, description, presentation, labeling and the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks related regulations****/***and ***/**** update the aforementioned framework
In addition, there ...
5.2 Future regulations
Rum regulations in France are in a state of flux, mainly due to new European spirits laws. Below, we take a look at the various upcoming changes:
Ban on additives: One of the major aspects is the ban on adding artificial flavors to rum. For example, if a vanilla flavor does ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
- Bacardi
- Captain Morgan (Groupe Diageo)
- Malibu (Pernod Ricard)
- Botucal - Diplomático (Groupe Brown Foreman)
- El Dorado Rum
- La Maison Du Rhum
- Dugas (Stock Spirits)
- La Martiniquaise Bardinet
- Pernod Ricard Groupe
- Isautier Rhum
- La Compagnie du Rhum
- Rhum Hardy
- Trois Rivières Rhum (Campari)
- Rivière du Mât
- Neisson Rhum
- Longueteau Rhum
- BBS La Mauny Rhum (Campari)
- Spiridom
- Don Papa Rhum
- Depaz Rhum (Bardinet)
- Dillon Rhum
- Damoiseau Rhum
- Clément Rhum (Bernard Hayot Groupe)
- Charrette Rhum
- Bologne Rhum
- Bielle Rhum
- Bellevue Rhumerie
List of charts presented in this market study
- Rum sales volume trends and forecasts
- Size of the global spirits market
- Top 10 rum importers
- Main segments in the global spirits trade
- Rum exporting countries
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Latest news
Pernod Ricard: portfolio of Australian, New Zealand and Spanish wines - 17/07/2024
- - The Pernod Ricard group has announced the sale of the majority of its wine portfolio.
- - The buyer is the international consortium Australian Wine Holdco Limited, owner of Accolade Wines.
- - The seven wineries sold represent an annual volume of 10 million 9-liter cases.
- - The brands sold include wines from Australia (Jacob's Creek, Orlando, St Hugo), New Zealand (Stoneleigh, Brancott Estate, Church Road) and Spain (Campo Viejo, Ysios, Tarsus, Azpilicueta).
Pernod Ricard sells almost all its wines to investors - 17/07/2024
- - Pernod Ricard is the world's number two in wines and spirits.
- - Pernod Ricard's total sales are €12.13 billion.
- - The divested business represents approximately 4% of Pernod Ricard's total sales.
- - Accolade Wines, now owned by the consortium of investors, generates sales of $650 million.
- - Pernod Ricard sells seven wineries, producing an annual volume of 10 million 9-liter cases.
- - Pernod Ricard's wine division saw a 10% drop in sales in the last quarter analyzed, mainly due to the US and UK markets.
Pernod Ricard sells its strategic international wine portfolio to Australian wine holdco - 17/07/2024
- - Pernod Ricard sells its international wine brands to Australian Wine Holdco Limited (AWL).
- - Annual volume sold: 10 million 9-liter cases.
- - Portfolio sold: Australian (Jacob's Creek, Orlando, St Hugo), New Zealand (Stoneleigh, Brancott Estate, Church Road) and Spanish (Campo Viejo, Ysios, Tarsus, Azpilicueta) brands.
- - The transaction also includes the sale of seven wineries.
Wine: Pernod Ricard continues its rise in the rosé segment - 03/05/2024
- negotiations for the purchase of 280 hectares of vines at Terres de Ravel in Provence.
- The operation is led by Château Sainte-Marguerite, Cru Classé Côtes de Provence, whose 230 hectares have been shared by Pernod Ricard and the Fayard family since 2022.
- The Fayard family plans to further increase its vineyard to 600 or even 1,000 hectares.
- Rosé sales have regained momentum worldwide. IWSR forecasts sales growth of 3-6% between now and 2027 in France.
- In the US, growth of 13% per year is forecast
How India is becoming Pernod Ricard's whisky paradise - 22/01/2024
- Pernod Ricard aims to accelerate its presence in India.
- The French giant, which occupies a leading position in the sub-continent
- Strong growth in the Indian whisky market.
- In the entry-level whisky segment, the group owns Royal Stag and Imperial Blue - two brands produced in India that rank among the top 5 best-selling whiskies in the country. It also owns several high-end brands: Chiva's Regal, Ballantine's and Glenlivet - imported whiskies that carry a 150% surtax.
- India accounts for 10% of the Group's total sales, or around 1.2 billion euros.
- A major market for the Group behind the United States.
- Consumption of imported whiskies and high-end Indian single malts is booming.
- Scotch imports are set to double between 2020 and 2022,
- India is the leading export market for Scottish brands.
- Sales of Indian single malt rose by 144% between 2021 and 2022.
- Local brands owned by the French giant account for 85% of sales by value. Imports of foreign brands account for the remaining 15%.
- Pernod Ricard has 27 factories across the country.
The trials and tribulations of Pernod Ricard to create the first whisky "made in China" - 17/12/2023
- Pernod Ricard inaugurates the country's first whisky distillery
- Pernod Ricard plans to invest 150 million euros over ten years in this project.
- Market launch of the first bottles of The Chuan, the first pure malt made in China.
- Bottles are priced between 115 and 190 euros, depending on the degree of alcohol (40, 46 or 60 degrees) and the type of aging.
- Pernod Ricard's Chinese subsidiary accounts for 10% of group sales
- Pernod Ricard is the world's second-largest spirits company, and already owns some 50 whiskies (including Chivas, Ballantine's, The Glenlivet, Aberlour, Royal Salute, Jameson and Jefferson's),
- The Chinese spirits market remains 97% dominated by Baijiu (sorghum-based alcohol).
- Western spirits share the remaining 3%, starting with cognac (a market worth 3.2 billion euros, according to specialist consultancy IWSR) and whisky (1.2 billion euros).
- The Emeishan distillery is located on the Mount Emei road, used by millions of Chinese tourists throughout the year. Pernod Ricard expects two million visitors within the next ten years.
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