The Singaporean division of Suntory Global Spirits has taken on sole distribution, sales and marketing responsibilities for the group’s brands in the city-state.
The move to in-house, framed by Asia Pacific president Masato Hayashi as “the natural progression of our growth ambitions”, has been described by the Jim Beam owner as its “first” in the South-East Asia region. When contacted by Global Drinks Intel, a spokesperson in Singapore said the unit’s distribution had previously been overseen by Cooperhouse Asia.
“The commercial business in Singapore is poised to capture the tremendous opportunities the city-state provides, which has one of the highest growing GDPs in the world,” said SGS Asia Pacific. “Demand for premium brands, combined with Suntory Global Spirits’ direct control of the RTM and on-the-ground team, positions the business for growth.”
Three weeks ago, SGS’s parent company reported a 3.5% rise in sales in the first half of this year from its alcoholic beverages division, which includes the US-headquartered spirits subsidiary.
