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Feature
Tequila flourishes in travel retail
It seems that Tequila is on the rise everywhere, and travel retail is no exception.
*This feature was originally published in the September 2023 issue of The Spirits Business magazine.
Retailers such as Aer Rianta International are taking notice, giving the Tequila category the room it needs to grow. “We’re listing new Tequila products in our stores to support this growing trend, and we are giving it some permanent space to allow it to flourish,” says Paul Hunnisett, the global head of category for liquor, tobacco and confectionery.
He believes that celebrity involvement in the category, as well as a rise in the number of quality brands, not to mention a trend towards sipping Tequila, are all contributing to the category’s success in the channel. “We are harnessing all of those things to bring the category to life in our stores,” he says.
Diageo sees the opportunities that travel retail presents for a top-end Tequila such as Don Julio 1942, as well as Casamigos. “Consumers in travel retail are always looking for new and exciting brands in emergent or developing categories,” says Nicolas Wyckaert, head of white spirits, global travel for Diageo. This summer the company launched Don Julio 1942 in European airports, including a Heathrow T5 takeover and a sampling bar.
“We are working to bring the category to life, educating around serve options and flavours that demonstrate that this liquid has the versatility of vodka, the price point of Cognac, the depth of Scotch, and a truly gender balanced profile – something that is very rare,” Wyckaert adds.
Proximo Spirits, meanwhile, is seeing exponential growth of its Tequila brands in all regions in global travel retail (GTR), reports Roy Summers, head of GTR. For its Maestro Dobel brand, Proximo recently created an immersive experience at JFK International. “The activation response from passengers went above and beyond our expectations, with high demand for the super-premium and luxury liquids,” says Summers. “This trend can now be seen in all key regions and hubs, as super-premium and luxury Tequila continue in rapid growth.”
Hunnisett is understandably optimistic about the category. “Major players are really getting behind the category, and there is better liquid availability this year,” he says. “This, coupled with the breadth of innovation coming through, means that Tequila will have a very strong future over the coming years.”
Find an overview of the whole spirits travel retail market here.