Kenya Breweries Limited has announced the launch of a new brand called Gilbey’s Mixed Berries, a delicious blend of gin and mixed berries to cater to grow its market share.
Victoria Mbugua, Innovations Manager, KBL says the brand also aims to address demand from consumers given the success that they have seen with Gilbeys’ mother brand.
“This is the reason why innovations are very critical for us as a company. It’s because they enable us to grow our market share and it enables us to incorporate more consumers into our portfolio,” says Victoria.
Other brands that the brewer has launched since 2020 include Chrome Gn, Gordon’s Gin, and Tanqueray Sevilla.
In the spirit’s segment, they have MrDowels targeting young consumers as an entry into whiskeys.
“It’s actually the most accessible whiskey we have in the market,” Victoria adds.
“!t’s very critical for us as KBL to bring in new innovations that target the right consumer that bringing new people into our category and enable us to grow our market share in terms of our country so that can maintain our status as the market,” she adds.
In June, KBL said it intended to spend Ksh 1 billion in setting up an additional line for local production of spirits to meet growing consumer demand.
“Our spirits volumes have increased and it is an opportunity to raise production by having an additional line,” said KBL managing director John Musunga. “Spirits will have an increased role to play in our overall business than they used to do a few years back.”
East African Breweries Limited’s full-year 2021 financial results, the spirits segment defied the coronavirus pandemic restrictions due to their easier off-take from outlets and online shops recording a +24% y/y growth in Kenya and Uganda.
Mainstream spirits were the top performer recording a +23% y/y growth (notably +22% y/y growth in Kenya). Premium Spirits recorded impressive growth in Kenya (+32% y/y) and Tanzania (+38% y/y) according to EABL Earning Note by Genghis Capital.
