The vodka category climbed back on a growth curve in 2016. Challenges still remain for key standard players but overall conditions are improving. The vodka category in duty free and travel retail achieved steady growth of just over 3 percent last year, according to the latest IWSR data. Vodka was on par with other white spirits and the rum segment in the duty-free category, outperformed only by the resurgent gin category, which grew by over 5 percent in 2016.
A variety of factors have worked in vodka’s favor including recovery of sales in Russia and the CIS, the increasing popularity of vodka in emerging markets and the growing presence of craft vodka and super and ultra-premium vodkas.
Source: The IWSR Magazine, September 2017