Henkell Freixenet, the wine and spirits division of Geschwister Oetker Beteiligungen KG, posted sales growth of 11% in its financial year 2021, to €1.3 billion, according to media reports.
The group is best-known for brands Freixenet, Mionetto, Henkell, Mangaroca Batida de Côco, and i heart Wines, among others.
The performance, boosted by a rebound in travel retail, helped Henkell Freixenet surpass the turnover level before the pandemic.
Henkell Freixenet
According to Dr Andreas Brokemper, CEO of Henkell Freixenet, the company saw significant growth across all regions with its 'House of Brands' the driving force behind double-digit sales growth.
"Freixenet sold more than 100 million bottles for the first time, Mionetto was able to increase by an impressive 33% to 35 million 1/1 bottles. Henkell also grew in double digits in 2021, above all in the international markets (+21%, primarily in Austria and Australia)," Brokemper added.
Sparkling wine sales increased by 15.2% to €843 million, while global sales in the wine segment grew by 1.4% to €226 million.
Spirits sales rose by 5.6% to €232 million with Wodka Gorbatschow the top-selling spirit in the group.
Regional Breakdown
Henkell Freixenet ended the 2021 financial year with sales of €464 million (+0.3 % compared to 2020) in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH).
Western Europe, also the group’s second strongest region, posted sales growth of 16.9%, to €402 million, boosted by the reopening of gastronomy businesses, notably in southern Europe.
The region includes the UK, Spain, France, Italy, Benelux, and Scandinavia.
In Eastern Europe, the company posted growth of 16%, to €240 million.
Net sales in the Americas region increased by 26.1 %, to €169 million, with double-digit growth from global brands Freixenet, Mionetto Prosecco, and prestige brands Segura Viudas and Gloria Ferrer in the USA.
Asia Pacific sales fell by 6.8% year-on-year, to €39 million, with COVID-related restrictions in Japan playing a part.
Henkell sold more than one million litre bottles in Australia for the first time last year.
The Global Export business, which includes importers and distributors, including global travel retail, grew by 128.1% to €12 million.
2022 Outlook
According to the group, the economic effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be defining for the year 2022.
In addition to the strong political uncertainty, the war is causing significant price increases and supply bottlenecks throughout the supply chain, the company said, adding that price increases for glass, packaging materials, energy, and logistics will have a big impact on the business.
Wine has also become more expensive due to the harvest, and in some cases, availability is limited or non-existent.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Drinks news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
