Hospitality tech company, Union, analyzes sales of cognac at more than one thousand venues and finds Hennessy is leading the way, followed by D’Ussé
Austin, TX (Jan. XX, 2024) – While the pandemic was a bright spot for cognac, the high-end spirit saw a decline in retail sales last year and according to Union’s latest report, on-premise sales have been following the same downward trend. Based on ordering data from more than one thousand bars and restaurants nationwide, dollar sales for cognac were also down from 1.31 percent to 1.29 percent.
“While this decline for operators may seem flat, this is a significant indicator for cognac producers that they are not out of the woods,” said Layne Cox, chief marketing officer for Union. “This is a good time for cognac brands to get creative with promotions and pricing, especially during uncertain economic times.”
Based on data within Union’s cognac report, the top three brands in order of sales share on-premise are:
- Hennessy
- D’Ussé
- Rémy Martin
Despite the overall sales dip, premiumization remains strong for the cognac category. For example, Union’s data indicates that Hennessy VS sales are slightly up in share growth and its higher-end VSOP and XO cognacs are booming, showing a hefty points-share increase of over 20 percent each.
“Our data shows that nearly two-thirds of cognac sales happen at bars and restaurants after 10pm, so venues promoting ulta-premium brands in the late-night hours will likely see a nice sales bump when it comes to this category,” stated Cox.
To read the full cognac report, visit https://getunion.com/onprem-insights/top-5-on-premise-cognac-brands-ranked/. For more information on Union, visit www.getunion.com. To learn more about OnPrem Insights by Union, visit https://getunion.com/onprem-insights/.
About OnPrem Insights by Union
Union’s OnPrem Insights is a rich data source that provides the hospitality industry with a granular, precise view of on-premise consumer consumption behavior. The reports cover beverage industry trends and uncover consumer purchasing patterns, which allow busy bars and restaurants as well as beverage and alcohol brands to better understand their consumers, the marketplace and identify growth opportunities. The reports are based on Union’s proprietary GuestMatch and MenuMatch intelligence and on-premise consumption data over a thousand of Union venues, serving millions of guests 21+ across 34 U.S. states. Union data is based on actual customer orders, not indirect methods like cases sold into the bars or surveys. To learn more or to download Union OnPrem Insights reports, visit https://getunion.com/onprem-insights/.
About Union
Union is a hospitality engagement platform leveraging industrial-grade data intelligence to deliver transformative experiences for guests, operators, and brands at the most popular venues across the country. Designed by over 50 hospitality venue owners from some of the highest volume locations in the country, the Union engagement platform was built specifically to meet the needs of high-volume bars and restaurants, while taking a revolutionary approach to connecting consumers and brands on-premise. Follow Union on Facebook and Instagram or visit getUnion.com.
