Halewood drives Asian expansion with Whitley Neill gins
Whitley Neill Rhubarb & Ginger gin is proving a hit in a pop-up store staged with Duty Free Zero at Hong Kong International Airport
Halewood Wines & Spirits is seeking to develop its Asian market with new travel-exclusive bottles for its market-leading Whitley Neill Handcrafted Dry Gin and its flavored variants.
The company, which will exhibit at TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition on the stand of its partner MG Cellars at B14, is launching the 100cl format bottles in response to demand from retailers.
The new one-liter bottles of classic Whitley Neill and the Rhubarb & Ginger variant are already proving a hit in a special pop-up store staged with Duty Free Zero at Hong Kong International Airport and at DFS and Gebr Heinemann stores across the region.
Simon Roffe, Managing Director Global Travel Retail, said: “Airport activations featuring Whitley Neill Gins mounted with Heinemann, Lagardere, Dufry and Amsterdam Schiphol are proving a huge attraction. Travelers really respond to the vibrant color and fabulous taste of our flavored gin variants, which include palate powerhouses like Rhubarb & Ginger, Lemongrass & Ginger, Parma Violet, Raspberry and Blood Orange, and sales have been off the scale. “
The company has a program of in-store events planned for the spring and summer with Gebr Heinemann in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Billund and Johannesburg.
Dead Man’s Fingers Spiced Rums also feature prominently in the growth plans of Halewood’s travel retail unit. The first listings are with Thomas Cook Airlines, and the response from customers has been enthusiastic, said Roffe.
In addition, brands from Halewood’s growing network of craft distilleries, such as Aber Falls in Wales and the new Australian subsidiary Ironbark Distillery are set to be launched in the travel retail channel in the coming months.
