Flavoured and spiced rum sales surpass 10m bottles in UK

UK sales of spiced and flavoured rum grew by 80% between 2014 and 2019 to surpass 10 million bottles, according to figures from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

During the 12 months to June 2019, UK consumers bought 35 million bottles of rum

The WSTA published its Market Report last week, and found that sales of flavoured and spiced rum in the UK have increased from less than six million bottles in 2014 to more than 10m in 2019.

The trade group predicts that the flavoured and spiced rum category will become the largest off-trade sub-category of rum within the next 12 months.

Miles Beale, chief executive of the WSTA, said: “British consumers’ willingness to explore new drink experiences helped with the initial gin boom, and we are starting to see some segments of the rum category benefit from a similar impact. It’s hard to make a case for anything other than 2019 as another year of gin, but maybe in 2020 we will see rum pulling out all the punches as spirits’ new rising star.”

WSTA sales data shows that the wider rum category as a whole grew by just 1% in the 12 months to June 2019. In total, UK consumers bought 35m bottles of rum during the period, worth £1 billion (US$1.3bn).

White rum remains the largest segment of the rum market, worth around £360m (US$466m), and sold 13.1m bottles to June 2019 – some 300,000 fewer than in the 12 months to June 2018.

Meanwhile, sales of both dark and golden rums rose in the 12 months to June 2019, with dark rums worth £127m (US$164m) and golden rums worth £383m (US$493m).

Last week, the WSTA appointed five new members to its board, including executives from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Berry Bros & Rudd, LVMH and Encirc.