Pernod Ricard upbeat despite volatile climate
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“Despite an uncertain and volatile environment, with disruption in the on-trade and a prolonged downturn in travel retail, we anticipate organic sales growth for full-year FY21, thanks in particular to our dynamic performance in domestic must-win markets USA, China and India,” Pernod Ricard chairman Alexandre Ricard said.
Agencies
Pernod Ricard said off-trade channels are now open in all regions and production capacity has normalised at an overall level.
Mumbai: Pernod Ricard, the world’s second largest distiller, said its growth has resumed in “must-win” markets including India, which could help it post a yearly sales expansion. The French maker of Absolut vodka and Chivas Regal scotch said its sales in India grew 2% year-on-year in the quarter to December 2020 although business in the first half of the financial year saw a 6% decline. The company follows a July-June financial year.
Mohali: Police have arrested two persons after 200 cartons of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) liquor were allegedly recovered from them from two different sites here on Tuesday.
Police set up a check post near the new bus stand and stopped the truck. Cops claimed they recovered 150 boxes of ‘Royal General’ whisky having the marking of ‘For Sale in Chandigarh Only’. The drive was taking the consignment to Amritsar.
In the second incident, Zirakpur police seized 50 boxes of IMFL being smuggled to Patiala.
A check post was put up on Patiala road. Cops said a canter driver attempted to reverse the vehicle and flee but was chased and caught. His assistant fled. Cops claimed they recovered 18 cartons of ‘Royal Challenge’ whisky and 36 cartons of ‘Royal Stag’ whisky from the canter.
I think I deserve a round of applause. Actually, a big round of applause! Last evening, the advertising and media website of a pink daily, ran an anchor story saying, “ASCI bans surrogate advertising of 12 liquor companies”. It was music to my years. I have, over the past three years, waged a lonely battle against surrogate ads, and tried really hard to get the advertising industry watchdog, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to rein in these liquor brands masquerading under different surrogates, mostly notional, and only created to cleverly (and deviously) circumvent the law. Despite all my persuasive writings, and much protestations on surrogate advertising, ASCI either turned a deaf ear or tried to evade/obfuscate the issue.
"All these advertisements were found to be in violation of the ASCI code, as advertisers failed to convince the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) that these were genuine brand extensions, or that they did not have direct or indirect cues of the category whose advertising is restricted or prohibited," Manisha Kapoor, secretary-general, ASCI.