The maker of whiskies including Famous Grouse, Highland Park and The Macallan yesterday unveiled a new joint venture to sell its Scotch in the Americas alongside brands including Disaronno, Tennent’s lager and Tia Maria.
Edrington has teamed up with World Equity Brand Builders (Webb) to launch Edrington Webb Travel Retail Americas.
The new entity will market drinks in the duty-free sections of airports, cruise liners and other travel retail locations in the Americas, including Canada and the Caribbean.
More than five million cases of spirits are sold through travel retail in the Americas each year, accounting for nearly one quarter of global duty free volumes and worth a total of more than £660 million.
Glasgow-based Edrington – which also makes Brugal rum, Cutty Sark blended whisky and Snow Leopard vodka – announced in August that it was in exclusive talks with Webb, which has been marketing and distributing the Scottish group’s brands in the Caribbean for the past four years.
The deal replaces a previous distribution agreement with Bruichladdich-owner Remy Cointreau Travel Retail Americas, which ended on Thursday.
The switch is in-keeping with Edrington’s recent strategy of taking closer control of its brands in key markets, using joint ventures or setting up dedicated companies rather than employing third party distributors.
Other brands marketed by Webb in the Americas include Armand de Brignac Champagne, Cape Classics wines, Magners cider and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
Juan Gentile, Edrington’s area director for the Americas, said: “The creation of Edrington Webb expands our reach and bring us closer to customers and consumers in this valuable and dynamic market.
“Edrington and Webb have worked together in the Caribbean since 2010 and I am delighted at this opportunity to extend such a successful relationship.”
Andy Consuegra, managing director of Webb and part of the management team at the new joint venture, added: “We are honoured to partner with Edrington and build on a very successful relationship.
“Edrington Webb Travel Retail Americas offers a leading portfolio of premium spirit and wine brands, enabling our experienced team to focus on in-store execution, brand building and training all the way from Canada down to the Caribbean.
“We look forward to building excellent relationships with our customers and delivering strong results and long-term growth for our premium brands.”
Mr Consuegra will be joined on the new entity’s management team by chief financial officer Ken Pfeiffer and Marcelo Colombo, who takes up the role of commercial director.
News of the deal comes after last year’s launches of Edrington’s global travel retail business in Singapore, which is led by Tellis Baroutsis, and Edrington Americas, which handles domestic as opposed to duty-free sales in the United States and neighbouring markets.