The Hindu Business Line : Radico's 8PM whisky sales hit 3-m cases mark

RADICO Khaitan Ltd (RKL), the second largest Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) company, said that its flagship brand, 8PM Whisky, has touched three million cases in annual sales. Old Admiral brandy has crossed a million cases for the first time as the company emerged from the financial year 2004-05, reporting robust volume figures.

Mr Abhishek Khaitan, Managing Director of RKL, said, 8PM Whisky reported a 30 per cent rise in sales during the last financial year to touch the three-million mark. "We also have a new millionaire brand in Old Admiral Brandy, which has clocked over 1.3 million cases in 2004-05," he said. Old Admiral will be the third millionaire brand in RKL's portfolio after 8PM Whisky and Contessa Rum, which sells about 2.5 million cases with significant volumes in the army canteen channel.

The latest figures of Radico Khaitan come at a time when industry rivals talk about the slowing sales of RKL's frontline brands, especially 8PM after its blitzkrieg start in the late 1990s. The flagship whisky has had two successive years of growth in the 25 to 30 per cent bracket. It had vaulted 26 per cent in 2003-04 to touch 2.39 million cases, up from 1.90 million cases in 2002-03. The resurrected growth comes after a minor blip in its sales (seven per cent in 2001-02).

Meanwhile, Old Admiral Brandy has posted a nearly 70 per cent growth to reach 1.3 million cases during the last financial year, up from 0.74 million cases in 2003-04. The brand, which mops up a sizable volume in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, had reported sales of 0.22 million cases in its launch year, 2002-03.

Radico's IMFL sales jumped nearly 50 per cent to 9.5 million cases in 2004-05, up from 6.34 million in the previous year. Radico's IMFL sales were pegged at 4.71 million cases (2002-03) and 3.69 million cases (2001-02).

RKL's performance in the Southern markets has been fairly impressive, as it accounted for nearly 3.7 million cases in the overall sales during 2004-05. The volume mopped up from the South is tipped to cross five million cases in the ongoing financial year.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Tata Indicom, Reliance Mobile tie up with filmmakers

Lowe's strategy division to be brand marketing consultant

Will outsourcing of creative ad work become a reality?

Indian cos going slow on promoting Valdecoxib

ICICI Pru premium grows 77 per cent

Organised retail penetration may be 10 pc by 2010: Fitch

Radico's 8PM whisky sales hit 3-m cases mark

Milou plans 20 more stores in next 2 years

Wipro launches natural laxative

Idea's instant validity service

Canon launches digital cameras