According to TWE, the wine category has remained relatively undeveloped at airports with spirits dominating alcohol sales at 70 percent. The global wine company believes that its flagship brands, Penfolds and Wolf Blass, will be able to tap into the high-spending travel market, particularly with travels from China, SMH reports.
TWE has appointed Daevid Warren as head of the company’s Middle East and Africa business, as well as leader of the group’s global travel retail operations. Warren brings 20 years of retail experience with him to the role, including positions with World Duty Free and spirits group Bacardi Martini.
In addition to Warren's appointment, TWE has also welcomed two new executive roles into its global travel sales and marketing team to support its expansion plans.
According to SMH, TWE has invested heavily in marketing by launching new displays, pop-up stores and permanent sites for its luxury brands including airport installations at Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, London and Amsterdam for its Penfolds 2014 Bins and premium wine range.
Despite the push to capitalise on the Chinese market, the Penfolds brand has found itself in the middle of a legal battle with a notorious Chinese trademark squatter Li Daozhi.
A rival wine brand registered three variations of the Chinese name for Penfolds, Ben Fu, meaning that TWE could be up for hefty trademark infringement fines in addition to the rival company cashing in on the Chinese name for Penfolds by using it to sell wine.
Li Daozhi who also goes under the name of Daniel Li, has the rights to use the Ben Fu name until July 2019.
