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Summary of our market study
French whisky market valued at over €2 billion
The global whisky market, valued at US$66 billion in 2023, is growing strongly, forecast at 6% a year to 2032, driven by trends such as cocktail culture, premiumization, innovative product launches and spirits tourism.
The main market players are Pernod-Ricard, Diageo and William Grant & Sons, with the main producing countries being Scotland, the USA, Canada, Ireland and Japan.
Despite a slight drop in alcohol consumption and the impact of the EGALIM law, which led to price inflation and lower volumes, the French whisky market is growing in value. The number of distilleries in France has risen from one in 1995 to nearly 120 by 2022.
French production, representing just 0.6% of world production, will reach 643,000 liters by 2022.
The changing French whisky market in the face of global challenges
The mass-market whisky category dominates sales, and a market considered to be experiencing a slight decline in volume with an increase in value.
Whisky is the second most purchased spirit after rum, with around 51% of the market.
Whisky lovers in France are generally men in their forties, with over two-thirds of consumers being male.
Supermarkets and hypermarkets account for the bulk of whisky sales, but specialist distributors are expanding rapidly, particularly among connoisseurs looking for top-of-the-range or unique selections.
Main market players
- Pernod Ricard: Pernod Ricard boasts a rich portfolio of brands, including Ballantine's, Clan Campbell and Chivas Regal.
- Bacardi: offers whiskies under brands such as William Lawson's and Dewar's.
- Brown Forman: produces one of the most iconic American whisky brands, Jack Daniel's,
- Diageo: owns the Johnnie Walker and Taliske brands
- Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits: owns the William Peel brand,
- William Grant and Sons: Family-owned distillery with a worldwide presence, William owns the Glenfiddich and Grant's brands.
- Rémy Cointreau: acquired Westland whisky
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
The whisky market is a sub-segment of the spirits market (beverages produced from distilled alcohol). The French Spirits Federation (FFS) divides spirits into two categories:
- "simple" spirits , which include whisky, but also vodka, gin and rum, 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.
Whisky is obtained from a production process that requires a variety of skills, including malting cereals, fermentation, distillation and ageing.
Whisky is the most widely consumed spirit in France, making it an important market. Nevertheless, most whiskies are imported from Scotland (Scotch), the United States (Bourbon), Ireland and even Japan. The market is dominated by major groups such as Pernod-Ricard, Diageo, Brown Forman and Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits .
In 2022, despite an overall drop in alcohol sales due to war and inflation, whisky sales rose. France lost its status as the world's leading Scotch whisky consumer to India. The French whisky market is diversified, with strong consumption of mid-range whisky and growth in online sales. The number of whisky distilleries in France has multiplied, rising from just one in 1995 to almost 120 by 2022. At the same time, a market for luxury whiskies is developing, with bottles sold at very high prices, sometimes as collectors' items rather than for consumption.
Whisky is the favorite spirit of the French, despite a decline in alcohol consumption in France. However, in 2022 and 2023, with inflation leading to a decline in consumer purchasing power and higher production costs for spirits manufacturers, the sector must adapt to this global economic context. France, which accounts for just 0.6% of global whisky production, has seen its output rise sharply in recent years, reaching 643,000 liters in 2022 (+14%).
1.2 The global whisky market
According to Factmr, the global whisky market is estimated to be worth US$** billion in ****, with strong growth of *% a year through to ****.
Evolution of whisky market size World, ****-****, in US$ billion Source: ****
Market growth is driven by a number of factors:
the strong cocktail trend, which is boosting whisky ...
1.3 The French whisky market
Here, we focus on the mass-market whisky market, which accounts for the vast majority of sales. Figures are given at P* of each year, which corresponds roughly to the end of March .
The French whisky market is fairly mature, with sales stagnating and even declining slightly, but resisting in value terms. ...
1.4 Foreign trade in whisky
The Whiksy trade balance will be in deficit by more than *** million euros in ****
Whiskies trade balance France, ****-****, in € million Source: ****
The most significant share of exports is destined for the USA, accounting for over half of all exports. Other European countries such as Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland ...
1.5 The impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the French spirits industry
The impact of the Covid crisis on the French spirits industry is multi-faceted:
loss of orders in cafés, restaurants, hotels (***) and nightclubs loss of export orders loss of orders from certain distributors (***)
Through the Fédération Française des Spiritueux (***) limiting promotions and creating inflation[***]
Insee subclass **.**Z"Production ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Whisky, France's favorite spirit
The graph illustrates spirits purchasing preferences in France for the year ****, revealing a strong appetite for whisky, which clearly stands out. With **% of respondents having purchased whisky in the last ** months, this beverage is in second place, just behind rum, which leads by a narrow **%. This figure underlines whisky's special place ...
2.2 Profile of whisky drinkers
According to theIpsos study, the typical profile of a whisky consumer is an older man with a fairly high income .
The average age of whisky drinkers is **.*, with more than half over **.
What's more, over */* of consumers are men , as the following graph shows.
Breakdown of whisky consumers by gender France, ...
2.3 How and where whisky is consumed
Consumption rituals: French Whisky consumers prefer to drink it on its own (***), while only **% usually drink it in cocktails and **% in flavors.
In fact, **% of consumers believe that Whisky is a drink to be enjoyed in small quantities .
How do the French usually consume Whisky? France, ****, in Source: ****
What's more, **% consider ...
2.4 Whisky buying criteria
What information is important to whisky consumers?
Quality dominates the other criteria, as the following graph shows. Brand is much less important than the other criteria.
When you ask about Whisky, what information are you looking for? France, ****, in Source: ****
The majority of whisky consumers say they know little about this ...
2.5 The whiskies most consumed by the French (excluding cafés - restaurants - hotels)
In ****, blends less than ** years old will dominate the market with **% of sales by value, followed by bourbons and malts.
Breakdown of whisky sales by type France, ****, in Source: ****
The whisky market in **** showed robust growth, revealing positive trends in various segments. According to Nielsen data, overall whisky sales rose by ...
2.6 France's favourite whisky brands
The graph below is based on OpinionWay's survey of French consumers' favorite brands in February ****. These are respondents' answers to the question "Do you like this or that brand of whisky?" for each brand, with the percentage corresponding to the proportion of respondents who answered "yes".
Jack Daniel's is the favorite ...
3 Market structure
3.1 The whisky industry value chain
Simplified diagram of the whisky-making process
Raw materials all whiskies use cereals as a basic ingredient. Barley is the most commonly used, but corn, oats, rye, wheat or rice can also be used, depending on the type of whisky (***)
Malting malting: a process during which the starch in the grains is ...
3.2 The boom in French whisky over the past decade
The French whisky industry: clear potential[***]
The French whisky industry has a number of advantages to help it progress:
it masters all stages of production and already possesses excellent know-how in distillation, ageing and blending. it is also the world's largest producer of barley malt, and French whiskies are more often ...
3.3 Distribution analysis
Traditional generalist distribution channels (***) largely dominate sales, in terms of both value and volume.
Some specialized distributors (***) also sell whisky, and are particularly popular with connoisseurs, such as :
cellars and networks of wine merchants such as Nicolas pure-players such as La Maison du Whisky, which offers top-of-the-range whiskies from France and ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Types of whisky
Whiskies vary according to :
the ingredients used production processes territorial origins
There is a wide variety of different whiskies, including :
Single malt: produced by a single distillery, this is the flagship product of Scottish distilleries. It is one of the most expensive whiskies. Aberlour and Glenfiddich are major brands in this ...
4.2 Price analysis
An upward trend in prices over the last ten years:
According toInsee, the average retail price of a **cl whisky is €**.* in **** (***). Three periods can be observed on the graph:
a sharp rise in prices between **** and **** stagnation, and even a slight fall between **** and **** a sharp rise between **** and **** (***)
Retail ...
4.3 A heavy tax burden
Alcoholic beverages are subject to special tax regulations. Not only do they have to pay VAT, but since ****, consumption taxes and a social security contribution have been required. These change every year:The duty rates for spirits and alcoholic beverages shown in the tables below are increased by *.*% (***) for the year ...
4.4 Supply trends
Innovative launches as growth drivers:
Some strategies aim to attract younger consumers (***) by playing on "rounder" or "fruitier" tastes with, for example:
Jack Daniel (***). [***] Ballantine's Barrel Smooth (***), with a caramelized taste, launched in ****.
What's more, even if other spirits are more widely used for cocktails (***), the cocktail trend is not escaping ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Regulations
since spirits are alcohols of at least **º and most products have an alcohol content well above the average, spirit drinks are highly regulated.
Production
Bottles of spirits must be strictly labeled with the following information: ingredients, alcohol content, volume, and, for example, a logo depicting a crossed-out pregnant woman. Regulation of ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
- William Grant and Sons
- Bacardi
- La Martiniquaise Bardinet
- William Peel (Groupe Marie Brizard)
- Brown Forman
- Pernod Ricard Groupe
- Marie Brizard Wine And Spirit
- Rémy Cointreau
- Maison Benjamin Kuentz
- Beam Suntory
- Bellevoye
- Armorik Distillerie Warenghem
- Distillerie des Menhirs
- Maison du Whisky
- Celtic Whisky Distillerie - Glann ar Mor
- Distillerie Domaine des Hautes Glaces
List of charts presented in this market study
- Growth in whisky market size
- Value of Whisky sales (supermarkets, drive-through, convenience stores)
- Whisky trade balance
- Main customers for French whisky exports
- Main countries supplying Whiskies to France
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Latest news
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.
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.
Cognac: difficulties in the cognac sector cause Rémy Cointreau's profitability to plummet - 07/06/2024
- - Consolidated sales for 2023-2024: 1.19 billion euros, down 19.2% organically.
- - Cognac division sales down 25%.
- - Weight of cognac in sales: nearly two-thirds.
- - Proportion of profits generated by cognac: 90%.
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.
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