‘Sky’s the limit: the rise of global travel retail’ by Mathieu Jeannin

Shopping at the airport is a unique experience. Travellers usually have time on their hands before boarding. They’re more likely to be in the mood to browse, to treat themselves or splash out on a gift. Alternatively, they could be one of the savvy millions who wait to stock up on the brands they love with a tax-free discount.

According to recently released figures from the IWSC (August 2024), Global Travel Retail (GTR) footfall is back to its pre-pandemic level and its value to the alcohol sector is now higher than in 2019. Despite volumes being more sluggish due to careful consumer spending, they expect the channel to outperform all other alcohol markets in the run up to 2028, with value growth of +7% predicted.

This explains why, for spirits brands, GTR has become such a priority. In our latest ‘In Conversation With…’  article, International Beverage’s Paris-born Senior Sales Manager for Global Travel Retail, Mathieu Jeannin, shares his secrets for success in this booming channel.

I’ve spent my whole career in the drinks industry, working in sales for Bordeaux wines and French Cognacs amongst others, in both Europe and Asia. I joined International Beverage just after the pandemic to support markets in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan before heading to London for a role in the European GTR team – a job I relish given how much I love travel and how long I’ve spent in airports over the years!

This is a very special – and specialised – channel. Particularly so for Scotch whisky, which is a premium category with a huge international consumer base. I came into the role knowing that airports can be a powerful shop window to the world, with an opportunity to sample and immerse consumers in your brand. But to succeed and ensure your brands shine – and sell – in the channel, there are some important strategic insights and trends to be aware of.

It’s all about premium

Travellers want something different and exclusive in the airport, compared to the products they see on shelf during their weekly shop. They want more elevated expressions and to dip into the higher end of your portfolio. We bring a future-oriented strategy to GTR, led by new products, limited editions and premium or super-premium ranges. We have invested in transforming our GTR ranges to meet consumer needs – from Old Pulteney’s ‘Traveller’s Exclusives’ to the dedicated GTR range we’ll be introducing for our Speyside single malt, Speyburn, in 2025.

Build the volume opportunity

If GTR was a country, it would be the world’s most valuable one when it comes to Scotch whisky. That’s a powerful statistic, and a reminder of the huge potential for commercial wins in the channel. Single malt volume sales were up by +24% in 2023 (IWSR August 2024) and are forecast to sustain this growth. The channel presents brands with a captive market selling exclusive products, so price sensitivity is less of an issue. It’s also an enduring channel. People’s love of travel and airport shopping is going nowhere. As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite in domestic markets, GTR is an increasingly important volume driver for many global spirits brands.

Tracking the new consumer

We make no assumptions about the GTR shopper. As an insights-driven business, we can see consumer behaviour and trends evolving – such as the emergence of younger shoppers in the GTR mix, who are making the most of budget travel but still want to spend on premium goods at the airport.  And they’re digital savvy, looking online before they travel to pre-plan purchases. A blended digital and in-airport approach to marketing and activations is crucial – as is keeping track of future trends and tastes of consumers in this space!

Right product, right place

There are huge regional variations to factor into any successful GTR strategy. Europe is a mature market, and the big hubs such as London, Paris and Amsterdam are growing more slowly than their counterparts in Asia (GTR sales in APAC were +46% in value during 2023, IWSC August 2024).  This is where the big opportunities lie in terms of volume and long-term growth – with Chinese tax-free super-hub Hainan attracting an incredible 90 million consumers each year. We continue to invest in both regions, but always with one simple rule at the core: right product, right place. I’s a granular, long-term strategy for success, driven by the profile and needs of each airport – whether that’s Balblair leading our activations in Hong Kong or Caorunn taking centre stage in its home market in Scotland.

Experience is everything

2024 has marked some of our company’s biggest marketing investments to date in the GTR channel. We now have full time brand ambassadors at several major travel hubs to deliver all important ‘liquid on lips’. Combined with a memorable brand experience – such as our stunning Old Pulteney tasting bars which have been transporting people to the brand’s Highland home at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Heathrow – we’ve delivered impressive results.

Partnership working

After airlines, duty free shopping is the biggest revenue driver for airports over any other – including hotels and restaurants. Airports want brands to invest and succeed, and they are ready and willing to support ambitious ideas and activations. As with so many aspects of our industry, strong long-term partnerships are the key to success.

Octomore “15.3 Edition” 100% Islay Barley Heavily Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $259.99 View

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Distillery life begins early each morning as the whisky-makers and production men and women take the long and winding roads from their home villages to work. Our northerly latitude (around the 58th parallel – the same as Alaska) means that the slide into the dark months is a swift one and their daily drive to Tarbert is now well before dawn.

The young distillers are sometimes rewarded with a special sunrise, as the windows of the Spirit Hall look out across East Loch Tarbert. But, more often than not, it’s lashing rain that greets their peers through the glass.
Visitors and regular Journal readers will know our distillery fire well, a beacon of warmth which welcomes visitors who come through our doors, particularly at this colder time of year. Each day the guest team build a beautiful blaze with locally cut peat and both the flames and sweet smoky scent of this traditional fuel soon warms both hands and heart.

With the clocks here in the UK have gone back we’re plunged a little deeper into the depths but there’s beauty to be found even with the arrival of winter.

Empty beaches and bracing walks in the wild Harris winds are well rewarded with warming drams. Just wrap up well and ensure something worth pouring awaits your return home as we enjoy the last of the light…

Read on for more stories and have a great weekend wherever you are in the world…

Le gach deagh dhùrachd,

Mike Donald, Chief Storyteller

The Hearach single malt is a complex and elegant whisky, full of island character.

We encourage you to spend time in its company, and explore the scents and sensory experience from a personal point of view.

To help things along, here are the official tasting notes from our distillery blender, Shona Macleod, from the village of Carragreich:

“ I get a gentle peat smoke on the first sip which reminds me of island home fires burning when I was growing up. It comes along with a toasted maltiness. I can also taste homemade apple sauce and smell machair flowers, particularly white clover which springs up on our west coast every summer. Mixed spices appear, and an old-fashioned sweetness from things like candied ginger, vanilla, and honeycomb. Finally, there’s a long, clotted-cream note, mixed with a lasting sense of new leather.”

Let us know your thoughts on the flavours you find, and the memories they evoke, next time you enjoy your dram…

Order your bottle and open to discover more…

ORDER YOUR BOTTLE OF THE HEARACH

Elijah Craig 10 Year 9 Month Barrel Proof “Batch A124” Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $69.99 View

Elijah Craig 11 year Old Barrel Proof “Batch C924” Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $69.99 View

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Killowen Distillery would like to announce their arrival at Dublin Airport Duty Free

As of today Killowen Rum & Raisin is now available in Dublin Airport Duty Free with ‘The Irish Whiskey Collection’. Once more the beloved Killowen Barántúil is available as an exclusive single cask bottling will go Live in-store (Dublin & Cork) at 4am on Wednesday.

This particular Barántúil is Killowen’s first ever 700ml bottling and 60 bottles will be made available tonight (Monday 4th) through the ‘Duty Free Whiskey Club’ 

The remaining Barántúil stock will be separated between Dublin and Cork airports. The whiskey itself is said to be Christmas in a glass as this Single Pot Still is finished in both apricot brandy & PX Sherry casks, offering Christmassy notes of dried fruits which balance perfectly among the ‘pot still spice’ and deep complex Killowen distillate.

Euro pricing as follows:

Christmas Barántúil Exclusive:
Duty Free – 113.50
Duty Paid – 129.00

Rum & Raisin Pricing:
Duty Free – 57.00
Duty Paid – 70.00

Happy Hallow Christmas

The Killowen Distillery Team

Smoke Point – Whisky Of The Month

The nights are drawing in and, here in Campbell River at least, it feels like we’ve had a years worth of rain in the last few weeks. The smell of woodsmoke hangs in the air, the wind has an extra edge to it and any extra warmth is to be treasured. With that in mind we thought this would be a good month to celebrate Smoke Point.  With subtle smoky, peaty notes and an underlying salinity that combines with its wonderful finish this is the perfect Fireside Dram.

For the month of November we’ve made our Smoke Point single malt an even more attractive proposition. This award winning single malt will be available at the distillery, and our online store, at $5 off. That combined with our free shipping on online sales over $140 makes this a great time to buy Smoke Point, and a great time of year to enjoy it too.

Buy Smoke Point Now

Rare Treasures from Whisky’s Top Icons

Recent limited allocations have given us the opportunity to curate an astounding selection of whisky icons from Scotland and Japan. Leading the way is a trio of singular examples from Bowmore, each aged 30 years. Speaking of 30 years, we happen to have one of the best allocations of the incredible Macallan 30-Year, a rendition that’s rarely seen and could easily be the cornerstone of any enviable collection. From Nikka, their stunning Nine Decades release is available while it lasts, and their 1978 Sherry Butt is out of this world.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

To mark 25 years of Johnnie Walker Keep Walking, we sat down with Jennifer English, Global Brand Director, and Christine McCafferty, Diageo Archive Manager, to explore its enduring impact. From its beginnings as a rallying call for individual progress to its evolution into a celebration of collective growth, Keep Walking is so much more than just a slogan.

Jennifer English (Johnnie Walker Global Brand Director):

Christine, it’s remarkable to think that Keep Walking has been part of Johnnie Walker for 25 years. Keep Walking is not just a punchy ad line – it is the Walker mantra and connects deeply to our brand story, underpinning everything we do. It inspires us to keep pushing ourselves and finding new ways to stay relevant to consumers globally. Can you tell us a bit about the origins of Keep Walking?

Christine McCafferty (Diageo Archive Manager):

In the years running up to the launch of Keep Walking, Johnnie Walker was showing up very differently across the world, and it had lost it’s connection to its DNA. We took the time to deep dive into the Diageo Archive and revisit the brand narrative from the last 100 years to reconnect with what made it distinctive. From the slanted label and square bottle to the Striding Man figure, and the way the Walkers built their business – the stories of innovation and progress soon led the team to Keep Walking.

For me, Keep Walking celebrates progress – inspiring both personal and collective advancement. Its strength is its universality, speaking to something deep within all of us. Having worked in the Diageo Archive for 27 years, I’ve seen how this campaign has been used worldwide as a rallying call, a challenge, and an affirmation.

Jennifer: 

Absolutely. The idea of progress is something that everyone can relate to on a personal level. It’s not always about making huge leaps; it’s about taking the next step – whatever that means for you – and celebrating that.

I remember when I first came across a Keep Walking campaign. It was the ‘Fish’ TV commercial from 2003. Having studied the science of evolution, the commercial really caught my attention. It was beautifully shot with such a simple message – don’t be afraid to take that first step, even if it means breaking away from the pack.

Christine:

I love that example. When the campaign launched in 1999 with Harvey Keitel, it was right on the cusp of a new millennium – a time filled with possibility and potential. People were embracing the hope and optimism of a new era.

What I find remarkable, when looking through the Keep Walking, archives is that from the very beginning it was breaking new ground. Whisky advertising had been very masculine, and status driven. This was something different, connecting a whisky brand to a purpose that felt authentic and relatable. Really it opened the door to diversity and inclusion within whisky.

Jennifer:

And as the world has evolved, so has the campaign. After the initial run of advertisements, the brand made a shift to celebrating collective progress – the journey we share with others. We have amazing examples of work from around the globe such as Keep Walking Colombia – highlighting the human connection between communities on both sides of the civil war and Keep Walking Lesvos, shining a light on the people supporting refugees entering Europe.

Post-pandemic, our ‘Anthem’ advertising carried an important message of encouraging communities to come together again – and had a pretty killer soundtrack in my opinion! Today we’re seeing society shift again. Consumers are seeking our rich and varied experiences. Progress is still connected to others, but we’re approaching it in a more sensorial way – encouraging our consumers to enjoy what life has to offer.

Christine:

It’s amazing to see how Keep Walking has adapted. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of the first commercials such as the print adverts featuring quotes from Abraham Lincoln, Dr David Livingstone and Yoshida Kenko. But as a historian and storyteller, The Man Who Walked Around the World starring Robert Carlyle in 2009 was a wonderful way to combine the Keep Walking philosophy with the broader brand narrative.

Jennifer:

It was an incredible ad, and the journey of Keep Walking is far from over as we look to the future and how we can meet consumer demands for exploration, experiences and a fuller life.

Just this year, Johnnie Walker was awarded a Grand Prix at Cannes Lions for ‘Errata at 88’ – an incredible Keep Walking campaign in Brazil. That campaign goes to show how impactful this message still is and will continue to be. It’s an exciting place to be.

Christine:

That’s such a vital message. Keep Walking will continue to encourage people to live more expansive lives.

Jennifer:

Exactly. Whether it’s personal or collective, progress with a capital P or a small p, Keep Walking will always be about moving forward.

A. Overholt: A. Overholt uses the same mashbill Overholt™ founder, Abraham Overholt used in 1810 – 80% rye grain and 20% soft malted barley – creating a fully warm yet deep spice, similar to rye whiskey from the 1800’s. The brand pays homage to its namesake Abraham Overholt with this new Monongahela Mash – our first foray back to our roots with a Pennsylvania Style-inspired classic rye. 

SRP: $39.99 | 47.5% ABV |

ARDRAY™ Blended Scotch Whisky: Developed by Beam Suntory’s Chief Blender for Scotch, Calum Fraser, and Suntory’s team of blenders from Japan, ARDRAY Blended Scotch Whisky presents a fresh perspective to Scotch Whisky. ARDRAY is an excellent Blended Scotch elevated by the precision and balance of Japanese blenders.  

SRP: $85.00 | 48% ABV |

Baker’s Bourbon Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 13-Year-Old: The re-release of the much beloved Baker’s 13-Year-Old from 2023. It’s a limited-edition bottling of special 13-year-old single barrel liquid, bottled at 107 proof. This extra-aged expression explores how time and location in the warehouse drive distinction from barrel to barrel. From still to rickhouse to bottle, a lot of things happen with the liquid like weather, length of aging, and rickhouse placement all shape the distinct notes and flavors of each barrel.

SRP: $149.99 | 53.5% ABV |

Booker’s Bourbon Batch #1 “The Springfield Batch” + Batch #2 “The Beam House Batch”: Booker’s Bourbon has released two of the four annual batches thus far, “The Springfield Batch” and “The Beam House Batch”. Batch #1 is named after the small town in central Kentucky where Booker Noe was born and raised. Batch #2 is named after the house Fred’s great-grandad, Jim Beam, lived, as did his father Booker Noe, and now he does as well. In this batch, Fed has tried to capture some of the joyful memories he’s made in the Beam House for you to enjoy at yours.

“The Springfield Batch” SRP: $99.99 | 62% ABV |  AND “The Beam House Batch” SRP: $99.99 | 62% ABV |

Bowmore Master’s Selection Third Edition: The 5^th liquid collaboration between the two storied, ultra-luxury heritage brands. Double matured in purposefully selected European Oak, Oloroso Sherry seasoned casks along with the optimal mix of American Oak hogsheads, this 22-year-old single malt pays homage to the definitively constant character of Bowmore.

SRP: $400.00 | 51% ABV |

Hatozaki Omakase Rye Third Edition Mizunara Cask Finish: A testament to the seasoned artistry of the Yonezawa family aging tradition, crafted in small batches of no more than 10 casks. The blend, consisting of at least 51% rye, is aged in new charred oak and then finished in traditional Mizunara casks. This dual maturation allows the Mizunara to impart its distinctive character, resulting in notes of sandalwood, coconut, and Japanese incense – a refined encounter with Japanese elegance. 

SRP: $95.00 | 42% ABV |

Hatozaki Small Batch 12 Year Old Umeshu Cask Finish: A 100% hand-crafted malt whisky, a blend of premium single malts, each aged for a minimum of 12 years in American Oak casks before being married and then further finished in bespoke barrels that previously held superior Umeshu liqueur for an additional 6 months. Without coloring or chill filtration this perfectly balanced whisky is complemented with subtle accents of sweet infused Japanese plum. 

SRP: $130.00 | 46% ABV |

Laphroaig Càirdeas 2024 Cask Favourites: Developed in ex-Bourbon barrels, this single malt combines the distinctive peaty flavor of Laphroaig with notes of freshly ground ginger, charred citrus fruits, and a whisper of bonfire notes embers through on the finish. The celebratory malt is bottled at a fixed strength for a memorable experience to share with friends. 

SRP: $109.99 | 52.4% ABV |

Little Book Chapter 8: “Path Not Taken” is about reimagining the variety that rye grain has to offer and pushing the limits of what it can be. Freddie looked across America’s oldest whiskey frontier from a new vantage point and created a complex, redefined, and differentiated profile by blending ryes of different age, char, and mashbill. Chapter 8 is Freddie’s first concerted effort to blend an expression based on the influence and unique flavors of rye whiskey and the nuances of the rye grain primarily in the American Straight Rye styles selected, as well as its mashbill influence within high-rye bourbon.

SRP: $149.99 | 59.1% ABV |

Photo Credit: Suntory Global Spirits & Hatozaki Whisky