Marie Brizard Wines & Spirits reports net sales in the Americas were down 18.4% in the second quarter, explaining that “the vodka market remains polarized with, on one hand, a leading player whose sales are growing rapidly, driving growth in the category as a whole, and on the other hand, price pressure being felt by the other players. Against this backdrop, Sobieski sales were down.”
Net sales globally also declined, falling 3.4%. But the company’s global branded business saw sales rise 4,4%, it said.
Andrew Highcock, CEO of Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits, said: “In the first half of the year, net sales of the Branded Business generated sound growth. In accordance with a commercial policy focused on value, total net sales are down in France in favor of increasing profitability of sales. In Poland, the distribution agreements signed in 2018 continued to gain momentum.”
In a related development, Marie Brizard said it made “concrete progress in finding commercial synergies with its majority shareholder, COFEPP. The two companies are pooling distribution in different geographic areas, entrusting distribution of MBWS products in spain the Bardinet Spain, while COFEPP has asked MBWS Scandinavia to distribute its portfolio in Scandinavia.”