Watch the first talk in full from The Spirits Business Hub
The Spirits Business Hub kicked off with an in-depth analysis of the inaugural ProSpirits Report and a discussion on key takeaways shaping the global industry.
How can spirits brands navigate current market conditions and harness future opportunities? What trends will shape the future of the global spirits industry? What are the expectations for key markets and sales channels in the near future? All of this and more was covered in the opening presentation and discussion at The Spirits Business Hub in ProWein, and centred on the inaugural ProSpirits Report: The Future of Spirits.
The speakers were: Dr Simone Loose, from Geisenheim University, Department of Wine and Beverage Business Research, who was the lead researcher on the report; Nikša Pirović, founder and owner of Pacific & Lime; and Donatien Ferrari, group communications manager at La Martiniquaise-Bardinet. Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business magazine, moderated the discussion.
The ProSpirits Report 2025 is split into four key segments: Current Condition & Future Opportunities; Future Trends in the Spirits Sector; Expectations for Market Segments & Sales Channels; and International Spirits Markets. In each section, the results report on the findings from producers – brand owners/spirits makers – and trade professionals (everything from distributors to wholesalers and retailers). The full report will be published in May.
“The challenges are of an economic nature,” explained Loose. “It starts with reduced spending power and economic global downturn because at the moment there’s hardly any country in the world where you have growing incomes – and we all know that spirits is a discretionary item, so it’s not really urgent, but it’s something to have fun and something to have a good leisure time.”
Ferrari noted the nuances between markets – and the strong growth of the low-and no category.
He said: “Most of the trends, of course, it’s very different in mature markets and emerging markets. In our company, we really believe in non-alcoholic [products] – it’s already 10% of our business.
“RTDs is really growing fast for us, so we are investing a lot in that and we really believe in those products.”
How can brands build long-lasting business relationships and customer loyalty, particularly in challenging and competitive environment?
For Pirović: “Brands have to focus on the principle of the brand. So, from our perspective, first you have to see where you are in the segment, independent of what’s happening outside in the market. So, are you a premium brand or a value brand?”
He continued: “You need to develop the desire for the customer that he still is willing to enjoy your brand; so, what’s the ecosystem of your brand, independent of the market situation? Why do I want to enjoy it? These are key questions that need to be reflected on, independent of the market situation.”
Loose and Pirović also. recently took part in an episode of The Spirits Business Podcast, accompanied by Sylvia Bernard, international marketing director at La Martiniquaise-Bardinet. Hosted by Kiely, the talk also explored the ProSpirits Report in detail.
Click the video below to watch the entire presentation and panel discussion from the ProSpirits Report: The Future of Spirits session.
Related news
BTS: The Spirits Business Hub at ProWein 2025
