記者 徐菲遠 華夏酒報 今天
Spirits giant Pernod Ricard’s global sales fell 14.5% in its third financial quarter as the widespread closure of bars and restaurants took effect.
Pernod Ricard’s sales fell organically to €1.73 billion (US$1.86bn) in three months ending 31 March 2020.
And for the nine-month period to 31 March 2020, Pernod Ricard’s organic sales fell 2.1% to €7.2 billion.
In the year to date, sales in the US grew 3%, led by brands such as Jameson whiskey, The Glenlivet, and Malibu rum, although there was a significant slowdown in the third quarter “due to confinement and physical distancing measures implemented in most States,” it said.
In China, sales “severely” plummeted by 11%, which the group blamed on on-trade closures starting at the end of January. Sales were also impacted by the cancellation of Chinese New Year celebrations.
Sales in India grew by 1%, compared to 19% growth in the nine months to February 2019, but the country’s own nationwide lockdown imposed on 24 March hurt this year’s Q3 performance.
The company’s global travel retail business was one of the hardest hit, with “severe decline from February,” of 13%, driven by restrictions and lockdowns imposed across the world.
In Europe, sales have remained “stable” so far, with 2% growth in the year to-date, but the company’s “good performance to February” was severely impacted by a “double digit decline” in March once lockdown measures started come into effect.
The Jameson whiskey owner said that the Covid-19 outbreak will have “widespread repercussions” on business last month, and expects operating profit to fall by 20% in FY20. The company had initially expected that the virus could cause a 2% fall in its FY2020 sales.
Alexandre Ricard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, despite the blow, Pernod Ricard H1 sales through the start of Q3 were “solid, thanks to the implementation of our Transform & Accelerate strategic plan.”
As part of this plan, which launched in 2019, the company said it was to merge its two French businesses, Pernod and Ricard, which would lead to 280 jobs being open to voluntary redundancy.
“Since then, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a significant deterioration of the environment across the globe.”
“I would like to praise the exemplary behaviour of our teams and their impact on their respective communities around the world at this very difficult time.
“Under current assumptions of the impact of Covid-196, we are confirming our guidance of an organic decline in Profit from Recurring Operations for full-year FY20 of c. -20%.
“We are staying the strategic course while implementing a comprehensive action plan to mitigate costs and tightly manage cash. Thanks to our solid fundamentals and strong liquidity position, I am confident in Pernod Ricard’s ability to bounce back from today’s challenges to achieve its growth potential.”
Pernod Ricard said sales of “strategic local brands” fell by 1%, while “speciality brands” grew 13% thanks to Lillet apéritif, Altos Tequila, Redbreast Irish whiskey, Monkey 47 gin, Aberlour Scotch whisky and Del Mageuy mezcal.
It comes as little surprise then, that the group is investing in more speciality brands. After recent investments in aperitivo Italicus and Japanese gin Ki No Bi, French drinks group Pernod Ricard bought the remaining stake in German gin brand Monkey 47 at the end of March.
保樂力加中國市場下滑11%
在全球酒吧和餐館普遍關閉的影響下，烈酒巨頭保樂力加(Pernod Ricard)在第三財季的全球銷售額下降了14.5%。
截至2020年3月31日的3個月，保樂力加的銷售額自然下降至17.3億歐元(合18.6億美元)。截至2020年3月31日的9個月，保樂力加的有機銷售額下降了2.1%，為72億歐元。
今年截至目前，該集團在美國的銷售額增長了3%，領先品牌包括尊美醇(Jameson)威士忌、格蘭威特(Glenlivet)威士忌和馬里布(Malibu)朗姆酒。該集團稱，第三季度出現了顯著的放緩，這要歸因于大多數國家實施的禁足和社交疏遠措施。
在中國，銷售“嚴重”下降了11%，該集團將此歸咎于從1月底開始的即飲場所關閉。此外，中國春節慶祝活動的取消也影響了銷售。
印度的銷售額增長了1%，而截至2019年2月的9個月中增長了19%，但印度自3月24日起在全國范圍內實施禁售，損害了今年第三季度的業績。
該公司的全球旅游零售業務受到的打擊最大，由于受到全球范圍內的限制和封鎖，自2月份以來下降了13%。
到目前為止，在歐洲市場的銷售一直保持“穩定”，年初至今增長了2%，但是由于實施封鎖措施，3月份的“兩位數下滑”嚴重影響了集團“ 2月份的良好表現”。
該集團稱， 3月份疫情對業務產生“廣泛影響”，并預計2020財年營業利潤將下降20%。該集團最初預計病毒可能導致其2020財年銷售額下降2%。
董事長兼首席執行官Alexandre Ricard表示，盡管受到打擊，但保樂力加上半財年到第三季度初的銷售仍然穩定，這要歸功于實施了“轉型與加速”戰略計劃。“根據當前對疫情影響的估測，我們預計2020財年全年的經常性運營利潤將自然下降20%。”
“我們在執行全面行動計劃以降低成本并嚴格管理現金的同時仍保留了戰略路線。由于我們堅實的基本面和強大的流動性，我對保樂力加能夠從當今的挑戰中反彈并實現其增長潛力充滿信心。”
Ricard表示，旗下“戰略性本土品牌”的銷售額下降了1%，而Lillet利口酒、Altos 龍舌蘭、Redbreast愛爾蘭威士忌、Monkey 47金酒、Aberlour蘇格蘭威士忌和Del Mageuy mezcal等“專業品牌”的銷售額增長了13%。
因此，該集團正在投資更多專業品牌就不足為奇了。在近期對意大利Italicus利口酒和日本Ki No Bi金酒進行投資之后，該集團于3月底收購了德國金酒品牌Monkey 47的剩余股份。
徐菲遠 譯自The Drinks Business
