Leading drinks company Maxxium UK has embarked on a new programme to increase sales across different spirits categories, with a particular focus on London.
Under the banner of “A Winning Mixx”, it has drawn on extensive research to come up with six drivers of growth in spirits that will help to unlock an incremental £942m in sales by 2020 in the UK’s off- and on-trade.
Areas for generating extra value are:
- Discovery: recruiting non-spirits drinkers to the category
- Adventure: encouraging drinkers to trade up and broaden their repertoire
- Refreshment: promoting spirits as part of refreshing serves
- Sharing: making the most of occasions that are about socialising
- Perfect experience: ensuring every serve is perfect
- Positive spirits: educating and building the understanding of spirits.
It follows a restructuring of the business whose brands include whiskies such as The Famous Grouse, The Macallan, Highland Park and Laphroaig, Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark whiskeys, Stolichnaya vodka, Brugal rum and Courvoisier cognac.
Maxxium UK’s new London division is headed by Peter Sandström as general manager after eight years as the company’s marketing director. He will spearhead development which in turn will inform the approach for other major cities across the UK.
Peter said: “We are starting to look at London as a unique opportunity. London is an incredibly powerful part of the spirits business and the UK business. We are investing a huge amount of resource on capitalising on London and making London grow.
“The international nature of London is a huge draw card for our brands. People from around the world come here and it is the number-one destination for wealthier high-net-worth individuals. It is also a very important part of the mixology world.”
The company has also expanded its Mixxit team of educators with new recruits joining Wayne Collins, Amanda Humphrey and David Miles. They are Michael Green, who has held a number of roles at Maxxium since 1999, and Teddy Joseph, formerly a bartender and trainer in Edinburgh, Sydney and London.
Other changes include the retirement of Jim Grierson, sales director for the on-trade, after three decades of service. He will be succeeded by Andrew Morrison who has held senior roles across the on- and off-trade at Maxxium since 1999.
Maxxium UK’s managing director, Mark Riley, said: “As a major UK spirits distributor, we have the responsibility to invest in and evolve this exciting category.
“’A Winning Mix’ presents a sustainable sales growth opportunity across the spirits industry, born out of a compilation of unrivalled insight, collaboration and passion.
“Interest in premium spirits is at an all-time high and we look forward to turning our category vision into reality as we embark on a journey with customers to unlock future spirits growth.”
Further details and appointments are due to be announced soon.
