Canard-Duchêne bucks Champagne trend

Canard-Duchêne has hailed a “truly historical performance” as it outshone the wider Champagne category by posting 2.5% growth for the first half of 2014.

As the Champagne Bureau (CIVC) reported a 1.4% uplift in exports compared to the first six months of 2013, signalling an end to the consecutive declines seen in 2013 and 2012, Canard-Duchêne predicted “strong growth prospects for the remainder of 2014.”

The Ludes-based house shipped 1.67 million bottles between January and July 2014 and saw a particularly strong performance in Europe, where its shipments rose by 17% during this period.

While the UK and US also did well for the house, its domestic market proved notably healthy with sales growth of 5.3% in the off-trade and 16% in the on-trade. By contrast, the wider Champagne category saw a decline in the French market, where shipments slipped by -3.1%. Beyond France, however, the overall picture was healthier with growth of 6.9%.

This latest growth comes on the back of a longer-term push from Canard-Duchêne, which was listed by the drinks business as the 10^th biggest global Champagne brand based on 2013 sales.

Last year saw the house enjoy a double digit increase in exports, following a recent €1m investment in upgrading its winery, cellars and Reims headquarters.