Beam Suntory, a leading global premium spirits company, reported full-year results for 2020.
Global net sales were flat for the year, as a return to growth in the second half offset lower sales in the first half of the year. Full-year sales grew 4% in the United States, as restaurant and bar activity improved in the second half and spirits continued to gain share from beer and wine. Sales were essentially flat in Japan, up at a single-digit rate in the UK and Russia, up high-single digits in Australia and Canada, and up double digits in Germany and South Korea. The impact of the pandemic led to lower sales in markets including Spain, India, China, South Africa and the Global Travel Retail channel.
Global sales for Jim Beam grew to surpass 11 million 9-litre equivalent cases for the first time, extending the brand’s leadership as the world’s number one Bourbon whiskey. Reflecting sustained consumer demand for premium brands, sales for Basil Hayden’s bourbon, Hornitos tequila, Toki whisky and Roku gin increased at double-digit rates. Sales were also exceptionally strong for Japanese ready-to-drink products and On The Rocks Premium Cocktails (acquired in September 2020), as consumer demand for convenience, refreshment and quality cocktails expanded.
“As we expected, consumer demand increased in the second half of 2020, even as the global pandemic continued to impact markets around the world,” said Albert Baladi, president & CEO of Beam Suntory. “I couldn’t be more proud of how our people adapted to confront the challenges of 2020 – from our frontline distillery workers to our sales teams, from our brand builders to every company function. As a result, we were able to meet consumers digitally in the emerging ‘home premise’ to support at-home cocktail-making and satisfy their expectations for convenience through increased investments in e-commerce and ready-to-drink products. At the same time, we supported our on-trade partners with innovations like cocktails to go, and guided by our vision of Growing for Good, we provided vital assistance to hard-hit restaurant and bar workers in markets around the world.”
“Looking ahead, the pace of recovery from the ongoing pandemic remains uncertain. In this environment, we expect to drive continued improvement in sales as we benefit from the strategic investments we made in 2020, the exciting brand plans we have in place, and our commitment to delivering quality to consumers at every step of the value chain up to the moment of consumption.”
Baladi also noted that Beam Suntory made substantial progress reducing its environmental impacts in 2020, and will soon announce a new global sustainability strategy featuring ambitious targets focussed on making a positive difference for nature, consumers and communities.
Update on Beam Suntory Growing for Good Initiatives
Environmental Sustainability
Carbon Reduction: Through the purchase of renewable electricity and the completion of multiple energy efficiency projects (Kentucky, Mexico and Scotland), Beam Suntory reduced its total Scope 1&2 carbon emissions by 25% compared to the 2015 baseline.
Water Efficiency: The company has reduced water use per unit of production by 29% (versus 2015 baseline) by optimising existing cooling systems and investing in more efficient cooling technologies at the Jim Beam distilleries in Kentucky.
Watershed Protection: The company has established Natural Water Sanctuary programmes at Maker’s Mark and adjacent to the Jim Beam distillery. The company continues to expand watershed protection activities to global manufacturing sites in India, Mexico, Spain, the US Virgin Islands and Ireland. Future activities are planned in Scotland, France and Canada.
Sanitizer: To support hospital systems and first responders in the fight against Covid-19, the company’s facilities in Kentucky, Japan, Spain, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Mexico produced sanitizer sufficient to clean more than 50 million pairs of hands.
Hospitality industry: The company provided more than $3 million to support restaurant and bar workers and their families across numerous markets. Initiatives included Maker’s Mark’s partnership with the LEE Initiative Restaurant Reboot Relief Programme and Restaurant Workers Relief Programme, which donated more than 1 million meals to restaurant workers in the US, the company’s Shift-Meals To-Go programme supporting US hospitality workers and their families, and support programmes for on-trade workers in markets including Canada, the UK, Germany, Spain, Brazil and India.
