Spirits rivals Diageo and Pernod Ricard are toasting a successful start to 2011, having beaten market expectations for the first three months of the year.
A row between rum rivals Diageo and Bacardi escalated last week with the publication of a 13-page statement from Diageo accusing its competitor of leading a hidden campaign to sabotage its “public-private initiative” in the US Virgin Islands.
Diageo workers have ended their campaign against the brewer following months of negotiations that were kicked off in the summer by news of major plant closures.
Diageo insists that suppliers and customers will be unaffected by plans to close its Kilmarnock bottling plant as pressure mounts from unions and politicians to reverse the decision.
Suppliers of major drinks brands such as Smirnoff and Budweiser have hit back at claims that they are neglecting and, in some cases, endangering small businesses by extending payment times across their supply chains.
This week, Diageo heads to the court over new taxing measures in
California, a major US roadway is closed over beer-induced chaos
and InBev expresses its concerns to potential takeover target
Anheuseur-Busch.
This week, Red Bull launches a new natural cola brand as a first
step away from energy drink production, Diageo receives a setback
in its vodka expansion plans and a US-based vodka manufacturer
launches a new bottle with a built in...
The Alcohol industry remains divided over calls by the UK arm of
Diageo for the country's government to introduce mandatory health
warnings for pregnant women on drinks packaging.
Diageo and Heineken are to expand their cooperation within the
South African market to tap into growing demand for premium beers,
ciders and ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages.
This week, Diageo's Korean operations receive a boost, PepsiCo may
look to improve ingredient sourcing for its Indian operations, and
Cott hopes to maintain shelf space at Wal-Mart's US stores.
This week, Diageo posts half-year profit improvements thanks to
Guinness and spirits, Grolsch continues to struggle with the UK
premium lager market, and P&G reportedly hikes prices for its
coffee brands.
Diageo will not move for V&S' Absolut brand, after announcing
this week that it will buy into a joint venture with a
Netherlands-based premium vodka maker instead.
Diageo is to expand its presence within the high growth US market
for premium wines with the acquisition of national producer
Rosenblum Cellars for $105m (€71m).
Diageo today forecast organic operating profit will increase
by nine per cent in the current financial year after posting
strong gains across the majority of its big brands, including
Guinness.
Diageo's Guinness brand received a boost yesterday as its attempt
to go green paid off amidst growing uncertainty over the future of
the beverage and its famous Dublin-based production plant.
Diageo's operations within the lucrative South Korean whisky market
are facing further threats from ongoing investigations into its
practices within the country, the company said today.
The future for Guinness's historic Dublin-based production site
seems as unclear this week as the popular beverage
itself, after Diageo announced that it was reviewing the
effectiveness of its production network in Ireland.
Consumers do heed messages advising them to drink alcohol
responsibly, says a survey by Guinness maker Diageo, as it launches
a series of television adverts in the UK.
Diageo approached SABMiller to discuss carving up fellow alcoholic
drinks giant, Scottish & Newcastle, adding to speculation over
industry consolidation.
Drinks giant Diageo has announced the creation of a combined
regional hub for its Asian Pacific operations as it looks to
increase its focus on distributing its brands in the region.
Drinks firm Diageo has teamed up with an Irish baker to put its
iconic Guinness drink into bread, part of a move to expand the
brand into a wider range of foods.
A blended whisky owned by drinks group Diageo has been crowned the
best Scotch in the world, but consumers in Britain were unlikely to
get a sniff, according to judge Jim Murray.
Diageo, the world's largest alcoholic drinks firm, denied it
planned to launch sparkling spirit drinks in the UK in the near
future after filing a patent for a new way of adding fizz to hard
spirits.
Diageo, the maker of Johnnie Walker whiskey and Guinness stout, has
opened a S$13 million (6.54m) logistics hub in Singapore to cut the
time it takes for its alcoholic drinks to reach Asian markets.
Sales of Guinness have slipped in the beer's Irish homeland over
the past year, its maker Diageo has announced, taking the shine off
a solid sales rise for the drinks firm.
Blockbuster brands helped the world's largest alcoholic drinks
firm, Diageo, to a six per cent sales rise over the last year, but
trading in Europe remains tough.
The world's biggest drinks firm has shunned the chance to buy New
Zealand's Montana wines off Pernod Ricard because it will not
generate enough growth.
Diageo, the world's biggest spirit group, has announced a drop in
first half profits, caused by foreign exchange rates, weak demand
in Europe and the continued decline of the ready-to-drink segment,
writes Chris Jones.
Diageo confirms that it has trumped the bid that Domaines Barons de
Rothschild, Constellation Brands and Quintessa had submitted to
acquire the Chalone Group, reports Kim Hunter Gordon.
UK based drinks giant Diageo could get round increasing duty and
the uncertain future of alcopops in Europe by leading a new market
of mid-proof flavoured alcoholic beverages (FABs), reports Kim
Hunter Gordon.
After three years of successful growth, Diageo's alcopops sales
have decreased the company's financial results have revealed. This
week the company has released a new version of its Smirnoff ice
drink in the US, in an attempt...
Diageo has come a long way, he strength of the group's brand
portfolio allows it to register overall growth despite some
substantial setbacks for brands such as Captain Morgan, Smirnoff
and J&B.
CUB, the Australian beer arm of Foster's, is to extend its
marketing partnership with Diageo to include the latter company's
premixed spirit brands for the first time. The deal should see the
rapid growth of the draught...
Green Apple is the latest flavour variant to join the Smirnoff
vodka range from Britain's biggest drinks group, Diageo. The vodka
is being launched this month in the key US market, and is the fifth
flavoured variant of the Smirnoff...
It is barely two months since the world's number one spirits and
wine group announced 9 per cent organic sales growth for the first
half, but Diageo is already warning that growth in the second half
will be harder to achieve.
The success of J&B Twist and Smirnoff Ice in Spain has
convinced Diageo that RTD products are the way forward in a market
where it has been steadily losing sales in recent years.
The European Commission gives the go ahead to Diageo to sell its
last remaining food-related business, leaving the UK group free to
strengthen its position as the world's leading spirits and wine
producer.
Beverage producers, wholesalers and retailers should join forces
with their respective industry associations to present a united
front on the issues of responsible drinking and taxation, says Paul
Clinton, head of Diageo's US...
Strong organic growth from the premium drinks business was one of
several key drivers of growth at Diageo, the UK company which is
now wholly focused on its beer, wine and spirits business. Smirnoff
Ice and other RTD brands performed...
The world's biggest spirits group should continue with its policy
of using the proceeds of disposals to buy back shares when the sale
of its Burger King unit is completed. But this does not rule out
further acquisitions.
