Appleton Estate rums.
Published:Friday | March 11, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Western Jamaica brings in third of Wray & Nephew's domestic liquor revenue
Spirits company J. Wray and Nephew Limited says it intends to increase volume sales in the western Jamaica market by at least 10 per cent within the next year, having recently opened a store in the Fairview commercial complex in Montego Bay.
According to Andrew Desnoes, chief operating officer, "2011 is the year of growing revenue, and this is the way forward."
Desnoes declined to put a dollar value on the amount of sales it does in that end of the country, but says Wray and Nephew's western business accounts for a third of the company's total domestic revenue.
Of its overall sales volume, Desnoes says 20 per cent comes from the hotel trade; and that 90 per cent of those hospitality sales is done outside of Kingston.
Desnoes said he expects most of the 10 per cent growth to come from the hotel sector, although a lot of small businesses have been accessing the facility since its opening a month ago.
"It's really a little bit of everything that will add up to 10 per cent. But for sure, half of the amount (of customers) should be from the hotel sector," he said. "Smaller customers, we have found, are swinging by and picking up bottles, so it gives improved customer service and greater visibility of our portfolio with increase trial and use."
The 2,800-square feet space, which the company occupies in the shopping centre, houses office space for approximately 12 staff, an emergency warehouse and showcase for its products.
Desnoes said, however, that the centralised distribution point in Kingston remained and would in no way change with the opening of the Montego Bay store.
With changes in the infrastructure during the last two years, and a concomitant shortening in the travel time to western Jamaica, "we changed our supply point and now delivery is done 100 per cent out of Kingston, so there is no change to that," he said. The Montego Bay facility "is just an emergency warehouse". Hotels, for example, may need supplies quickly "and we can get it to them," he said.
The company spent approximately J$25 million to set up the operation, which it said will boost the visibility of its products in the western end and drive sales.
J. Wray and Nephew has a portfolio of about 200 wines and spirits, in addition to being a distributor for a number of imported brands such as Hennessy cognac.