Emperador market share in North America increases

Billionaire Andrew Tan’s hard liquor conglomerate Emperador Inc. is gaining ground in its bid to increase its market share in North America.

The United States and Canada historically lag contributions coming from Asia Pacific and Europe, where Emperador had established a strong foothold.

Emperador said in a statement that sales in North America jumped 28 percent so far this year versus the same period in 2021, mainly as it expanded distribution lines with established retail chains such as Albertsons and Seafood City.

“Emperador brandy products have increasingly become ubiquitous in these parts of North America,” Emperador International CEO Glenn Manlapaz said in a statement.

Earnings from North America have trended higher since 2021 as the company expanded distribution.

Revenue contributions from North America stood at less than 2 percent in 2020. This grew to about 3.8 percent in 2021 and extended gains to 5.42 percent in the first quarter of 2022, an earlier regulatory filing showed.

“This is in line with our relentless efforts of globalization while making Emperador Brandy a household name in other parts of the world. After performing well this year, we expect Emperador Brandy sales in North America to be even stronger in 2023,” Manlapaz said.

Albertsons, an American grocery company founded and headquartered in Boise, Idaho. It is the second largest supermarket chain in North America with more than 2,200 stores.

Emperador said its products are found in 229 Albertsons outlets.

The company also sells products in Seafood City, which has outlets in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada and Washington.

Its other retail partners in the U.S. are Ranch Market, BevMo! and Total Wine & More.

Emperador is the world’s biggest brandy maker and a leading producer of whisky via Scotland-based Whyte and Mackay. The company’s products are currently available in more than 100 countries across the globe.

Last July, Emperador completed a secondary listing  on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Ltd., complementing an earlier listing on the Philippine Stock Exchange.

It earlier announced plans to bring international sales to 50 percent of revenues and profits by 2025.