Value sales of gin in the UK market surpassed £2.3 billion (€2.49 billion) in the 12 months to March 2019, the latest data from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has revealed.
This is equivalent to the sales of more than 76 million bottles of gin.
Sales of gin in supermarkets and shops in the 12 months to March 2019 generated £1 billion (€1.1 billion), up 43% on a year-on-year basis.
The spirit saw stronger growth of 56% in pubs, bars, and restaurants during the same period.
A 'Phenomenal' Year
Chief executive of WSTA, Miles Beale, said, "It’s been another phenomenal 12 months for gin and, despite recent reports suggesting the gin bubble may have burst, our numbers suggest the exact opposite."
In the 12 months to May 2019, gin exports from the UK amounted to £730 million (€790.2 million), according to HMRC data.
Gin worth around £350 million (€378.9 million) was exported to EU countries, while the remainder was sent to other destinations.
'Wide Array' Of Options
"Drinkers here in the UK and overseas have never had such a wide array of British gins to choose from, and we have also seen a huge increase in the choices of pink and flavoured gins available," Beale added.
Total spirit sales in the UK amounted to more than £11 billion (€11.9 billion), or 400 million bottles, which means that one in every five bottles of spirit sold in the UK was a bottle of gin.
The pace of growth in the sales of gin is not showing any sign of slowing down with Britain’s craft gin producers continuing to innovate and experiment with new brands, flavour profiles, and colours, the study pointed out.
Forecast
Sales of British gin are expected to surpass 100 million bottles within 12 months, the WSTA has predicted.
Warren Scott, CEO of Quintessential Brands Group, and International Spirits Challenge 2019 Gin Producer of the Year, commented, "As we enjoy another record summer for gin, we’re confident that there’s still a lot of opportunity for further growth for English Gin, especially internationally, and with further innovation across our premium gins coming, English Gin looks set to be in the pink for the foreseeable future."
Beale added that the UK government must work with the European Union to ensure trade that is as seamless in the future as it is today.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
