Export sales of Beluga vodka increased by 61% in H1 2021
Export sales of BELUGA GROUP's flagship brand in H1 2021 grew by 61% year-on-year, hitting the highest in its history.
The brand has strengthened its position regardless the COVID-19 restrictions and slow recovery of its two the most important sales channels – on-trade and Duty Free. It demonstrates growth not only compared to 2020 crisis year but also outpacing the results of 2019 pre-pandemic year by 18%. Solid increase was recorded in all key markets of the brand’s presence compared to 1H of 2020 and 2019: Israel +103% and +68%, the US +73% and +127%, Poland +41% and +157%, Germany +10% and +106%, Bulgaria +91% and +28%, Australia +64% and +76%, China +111% and +29%, the UK +109% and +179%. A substantial growth was also demonstrated in the countries where Beluga holds a significant market share, and the rise is taking place to a high base, thus the sales volumes were up in absolute terms as well.
The key success factor was the group's focus on retail, which began in 2020 due to the almost complete shutdown of cafes, restaurants, and hotels. Over the past year, the company has significantly increased its expertise in this channel and will hold on to retail-centric model even after gradual recovery of the HoReCa establishments. As a result, in H1 2021 Beluga sales in the off-trade market rose by 80% to 2020 and 75% to 2019, while sales in the on-trade market increased by 38% and 6%, respectively.
Beluga also continued to expand its e-commerce operations. The activities in this promising and fast-growing channel are concentrated in the key countries of the brand’s presence: the most attractive from e-commerce perspective are Europe and the UK, where the company cooperates with Amazon, as well as Korea and China.
As sales continue to grow, so does Beluga's brand recognition. The ultra-premium status of Beluga is strengthening in the consumer's perception, and the team continues to build awareness and increase the audience's knowledge of the brand. Thus in H1, Beluga decorated the showcase of Caviar House & Prunier boutique, as well as the terrace and digital panels of Harvey Nichols – a luxury department store in London; a niche of the group’s flagship was set up at London's Heathrow Airport, the Onyx Bar & Garden by Beluga was opened in the Regent hotel in Montenegro and the Beluga Caviar Bar began operating in the new terminal C of the Sheremetyevo airport.
Our team of more than fifty professionals in 10 countries, including Russia, the US, the UK, and others, played a key role in achieving record export sales in H1 2021. Thanks to the hard work of our employees, the expansion and development of Russian and other countries’ teams, Beluga flourishes in exports and not only increase sales volumes but outperform the competitors in terms of dynamics.