Marie Brizard boasts 7.8% FY sales growth

Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits (MBWS) finished its 2022 fiscal year with single-digit revenue growth, aided by the removal of Covid-19 restrictions and price increases.

MBWS posted 7.8% revenue growth for 2022, with sales reaching €181.3 million (US$193.7m).

Revenue during the fourth quarter rose by 2.6% to €46.4m (US$49.6m).

Fahd Khadraoui, chief executive officer of MBWS, said: “In 2022, we successfully continued our growth, particularly on international markets, despite an unprecedented economic climate characterised by high inflation and shortages of certain raw materials.

“Our revenues reflect healthy growth driven by three factors: one, the lifting of all Covid restrictions; two, our policy of increasing prices, primarily in international markets; and above all three, a quality/price ratio that positions our brands as a safe haven for consumers during this period of widespread surging inflation.”

Looking at the full-year results for 2022, France posted 3.4% revenue growth compared with the previous year. MBWS attributed this growth to continued improvement in the on-trade and sustained sales in the off-trade.

Sales during the fourth quarter (Q4) in France dipped by 4% compared with the same period in 2021 due to lower sales for some products, and the ‘forced’ reduction in promotions at the end of the year because of rising costs and a lack of raw materials.

Internationally, full-year revenue was up by 11.7% to €100.1m (US$106.9m).

Spain saw a 5.6% rise in revenue, partly boosted by the Marie Brizard and William Peel brands.

The Baltic States posted 14.1% growth, driven by proactive pricing and the buoyancy of the bulk market and its by-products.

In Bulgaria, sales rose by almost a fifth in 2022 (up by 19.8%), with a 22.8% rise during the fourth quarter.

The US, however, posted a 9.3% decline in full-year revenue compared with 2021. MBWS said this was because of the highly competitive vodka market and inventory adjustment of its local distributor throughout the year.

Brazil also reported a drop in revenue last year, with revenue down by 16.7%. This was largely due to delays in availability of certain ‘strategic’ products.

Full-year revenue in Canada, by contrast, rose by 15.7%.

In Asia Pacific, the group sustained its performance across the region – particularly in Taiwan.

Khadraoui added: “Unfortunately, the current challenging macroeconomic environment appears set to continue into the beginning of this year. We must therefore opt for a proactive pricing policy and remain cautious regarding the development of the group’s business over the coming months.”