Q3 sales up but year-to-date down for Marie Brizard

Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits (MBWS) saw a slight uptick in sales during its third quarter, but its year-to-date revenue is still down compared with 2023.

During the company’s third quarter (Q3), sales reached €45.9 million (US$49.7m) up from €45.4m (US$49.1m) during the same period in 2023.

MBWS’s nine-month update for 2024 puts its revenue at €140.8m (US$154.2m), a 2.2% decline compared with the same period in 2023 (€144.2m/ US$156.1m).

Revenue in France dipped slightly in Q3, down by 0.6% compared with last year. MBWS, whose portfolio includes William Peel blended Scotch whisky, said this confirmed a slowdown in the spirits market, despite a strong performance in the on-trade, which was up by 29.6% for the group. This was driven by new premium ‘agency brands’, MBWS said.

However, sales of MBWS’s ‘international strategic brands’ were down in both the on-trade and off-trade. The exception was Marie Brizard, which benefitted from new listings.

International markets combined delivered sales growth of 2.8% in Q3, driven by Western Europe, Africa and Canada.

However, looking at the nine-month period, international revenues fell by 4.3% to €78.9m (US$85.4m) in 2024.

MBWS said sales in Europe were relatively stable, but the US was affected by the decline in Sobieski sales, despite an increase in revenue of Marie Brizard.

The group said Asia Pacific (namely South Korea, Japan and ‘to a lesser extent’ Australia) saw an uptick in Q3. While this was driven by its Marie Brizard and Gautier strategic brands, MBWS described the global environment overall as ‘sluggish’.

Looking to the remainder of the year, MBWS noted markets have contracted this year by both volume and value. This is partly down to normalisation of the spirits market, and macro-economic pressures dampening consumer purchasing.

MBWS said it would continue to adapt to consumer pricing demands while following its commitment to innovate, to sustain profitable growth.