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Building momentum: Pyrat XO Reserve rum |
US. Patrón Spirits International has reported that its Pyrat rum brand is starting to show traction in the travel retail channel, with duty free sales up +50% in the year-to-date. Worldwide, Pyrat rum posted +21% growth last year.
The ultra-premium Caribbean rum has recently been listed at World Duty Free in London Heathrow Airport, at Dufry in Puerto Rico, and several border stores.
The portfolio includes Pyrat Cask 1623 and Pyrat XO Reserve. Similar in colour and body to a rare Cognac, Pyrat Cask 1623 is a limited production, fine aged dark amber rum. Pyrat XO Reserve is described as a blend of rums, some aged as much as 15 years, that produce an elegant, smooth, medium-body rum.
The increasing success of Pyrat, along with Patrón tequilas and Ultimat ultra-premium vodka, helped Patrón Spirits grow by +30% last year in travel retail, and achieve an impressive +81% growth rate in duty free so far this year.
Recent new duty free listings include Delhi, Jakarta and Larnaka airports, as well as Philippine Airlines, Air Canada, Air Macau, British Airways and Hong Kong Airlines.
Patrón Spirits attending TFWA World Exhibition
Patrón Spirits will be attending TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes next month for the fourth time, and company executives point out that raising consumer and retailer awareness about the Patrón portfolio, particularly the ultra-premium tequila category, is still a priority.
“We’re now in 125 airports, listed on several airlines, and in more than 700 duty free shops across the globe. No other spirits company has achieved that kind of growth, that quickly, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished so far,” said Patrón Spirits International Chief Operating Officer John McDonnell. “But even with that success, we still have important markets yet to penetrate and we still have duty free operators and their customers to reach – that’s why shows like Cannes are so valuable.”
To support the duty free channel, the company has recently launched two new consumer-focused programmes this year for global duty free operators. The initiatives, entitled The Perfect Mix and The Perfect Gift, are both designed to reinforce Patrón’s Simply Perfect luxury brand positioning, and help increase awareness, trial and purchase of Patrón tequilas.
“The initiatives are designed to reinforce that Patrón isn’t just for shots and margaritas. It’s a sophisticated, versatile and highly mixable ultra-premium luxury white spirit that represents tremendous potential for duty free operators,” added McDonnell.
The Perfect Mix promotion
This year’s The Perfect Mix programme will include mixing station displays and live demonstrations to communicate to shoppers how easy it is to create Patrón cocktails at home. The initiative includes gwp cocktail kits and videos, and will be supported with in-store and in-airport advertising and POS signage.
For The Perfect Gift initiative, travel retail operators will receive an interactive engraving machine to personalise luggage tags as gwp incentives during holiday periods such as Father’s Day and Christmas, and other key times of the year.
“Both The Perfect Mix and The Perfect Gift initiatives are high-impact, customisable programmes designed to fit the individual needs of our duty free partners,” commented Patrón’s International Brand Manager Jason Nussbaum. “With both of these initiatives, our goal is to capitalise on the trend of at-home consumption, while also recognising that a little something extra like an engraved luggage tag can greatly elevate a gift-giving occasion.”
*Patrón Spirits International will showcase its full portfolio of ultra-premium spirits at the TFWA World Exhibition next month (Stand number: Green Village H36).
About Patrón Spirits
Brands in the Patrón tequila portfolio consist of Gran Patrón Burdeos, Gran Patrón Platinum, Patrón Silver, Patrón Reposado and Patrón Añejo. Patrón liqueurs include Patrón XO Cafe (coffee liqueur) and Patrón Citrónge (extra fine orange liqueur). Also in the Patrón Spirits portfolio are Pyrat XO Reserve and Pyrat Cask 1623 Caribbean rums, and Ultimat ultra-premium Polish vodka. Visit www.patronspirits.com and www.pyratrum.com
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