EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
In 2018/2019, the downturn in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region was due primarily to changes in the distribution network in several countries (Spain, Italy and Germany, to name a few). Most of the other markets recorded a good year, such as Russia,
the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland. Africa and the Middle East also confirmed their strong potential in the medium term, in particular with excellent results in South Africa, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates during the year.
Rémy Martin has continued its world tour with its pop-up Houses to educate clients and give them an opportunity to taste our signature cocktails: in the EMEA region, a "Rémy Martin House" was opened in Moscow in October 2018 and in London for the third
time, this time with a permanent address in the Bibendum building, in collaboration with Michelin-star French chef Claude Bosi. Still in London, Louis XIII opened a permanent store in Harrods, its third address after its two Chinese stores, and Cointreau
launched its new "The Art of the Mix" campaign there. Metaxa introduced the second opus in its "Don't drink it, Explore it" campaign in its main markets in Central Europe, and The Botanist launched invitations to forage in Berlin, Dubai, London and
Paris as part of its #BeTheBotanist campaign.
The distribution network in the EMEA region will continue to evolve in 2019/2020. Nevertheless, we will strengthen investments in our main markets.
TRAVEL RETAIL
In 2018, the Travel Retail market continued its strong growth, with a 7% increase in the number of travellers. Favourable market conditions and sustained investments led to a new year of healthy growth for the Group.
This short circuit allows us to be in direct contact with our clients and thereby educate them on our exceptional spirits. As such, we have developed various events for each of our brands: tastings, cocktail demonstrations, pop-up stores and original
features in the largest international airports.
In Asia, Travel Retail results reflect domestic market trends, particularly for cognac, which is experiencing a strong increase in demand. In the Singapore and Hong Kong airports, Progressive Hebridean Distillers (PDH) single malt sales and The Botanist
gin sales have taken off. In addition, we have noted rapid growth in in-flight sales.
In Europe, the environment is more mitigated, whereas in the Americas, the demand for high-end cognacs is dynamic and the Cointreau activations have paid off.
For 2019/2020, we expect the market to remain buoyant, driven by the continuous growth in Chinese tourism and the appreciation of the yuan.
