"The good figures for champagne in 2021 are the victory of good living"

• The champagne market was strongly impacted by the health crisis in 2020.

• But in 2021, sales exploded, a phenomenon that the industry had not anticipated.

• For

  20 Minutes

  , Jean-Marie Barillère, president of the Union des Maisons de Champagne, takes stock of “the best year” that the sector has known.

Champagne has never been better than in 2021. Because after long months of closing restaurants, bars and nightclubs in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the French have decided to make up for it. then around a cut or two.

A recovery that the industry had not necessarily anticipated.

Jean-Marie Barillère, president of the Union des Maisons de Champagne, looks back for

on a record year in terms of turnover.

Closure of nightclubs, bars and restaurants, limitation and / or ban on public or private gatherings… The Covid-19 pandemic has completely upset the champagne market in France in 2020. What has been its impact?

The cessation of human activity has led to a drop in demand of around 20% worldwide.

This led to a sudden stop in production, of around 50%, from April to June, only to restart at the end of the year.

The second confinement had a small negative effect, we were still below the figures for 2019. That year, we shipped around 245 million, for an overall turnover of 4.2 billion euros.

And the third lockdown had no negative effects.

In 2021, the machine seems to have revived.

What has been the behavior of consumers?

Month after month, the demand seemed to grow stronger.

Especially in terms of home consumption, since there was a third confinement in many countries at the beginning of 2021, which had absolutely no impact, as we have said.

The effects were even becoming very positive and we tried to understand why.

In fact, consumers have had a different appreciation of life from the past.

That is to say, indulge themselves in food, in drink… In short: they favored conviviality and the return to a normal social life.

Moreover, it seems that the new warnings against the arrival of the Omicron variant have no impact on demand.

The good figures of champagne are the victory of good living.

And what about exports abroad?

These are trends, but we have noticed a strong one in Anglo-Saxon countries, such as England, the United States, Australia, Canada.

In addition, European countries are behaving very well.

On the other hand, we have seen less demand from Asian countries, especially China and Japan, because they have much less of this culture of home reception than we do, and much more that of outside reception.

Champagne is doing well thanks to all the countries that have this culture of home reception.

It may be a bit early to tell, but have French consumers gone for the same cuvées?

Have they changed their budget?

In short: have they changed their habits in 2021?

Only qualitative and quantitative analyzes will allow us to know.

On the other hand, we already have the impression that consumers wanted to have fun and therefore went upmarket.

Whether it's champagne or wine.

Moreover, we are talking about the French market, but we must not forget the consumption of tourists, who were there in October and November.

How much do you estimate the turnover for 2021 is, and how do you place it in relation to other years?

It will be record.

We are going to be above 5 and a half billion, for a volume shipped of around 320 million bottles.

It is, in terms of turnover, the best year for champagne.

And in volume, this is the 4th or 5th best year.

Is the sector experiencing shortages and tensions?

How does this translate into the production chain?

He does not know any shortage but logistical or production difficulties to restart the machine.

Like all other industrial luxury sectors.

The Champagne stock to date is 1.2 billion.

Compared to sales of 300 million, there is plenty to do!

On the other hand, when you work a bottle in a qualitative way, it takes between 6 months and a year of preparation, in particular for riddling, disgorging, dosing, and shipping.

When demand is not anticipated, which has been the case this year, it is a normal phenomenon.

On December 3, you said that the arrival of the Omicron variant would "temper" your optimism.

Night clubs and dance bars have already closed.

What could be the consequences on the sales of champagne?

It is impossible to quantify, but there is bound to be an effect.

I remember the storm of 1999 and the transition to the year 2000. People did not come and consumed 20 million less bottles.

This is not nothing, since it represents more than a month of classic consumption.

It is therefore obvious that four weeks of closure for nightclubs will have an impact on consumption.

Even if it won't be that many less bottles, and they've already been shipped.

Are you preparing for a possible new stop in catering and events?

I do not believe it for a moment and I remain optimistic.

We can make efforts over a few months, but asking the French to stop living that long is not going to work.

People who have been vaccinated would not understand why they could not go to restaurants.

We did not anticipate a possible stop in catering and events because we do not believe in it and we are not afraid.

Magazine

Champagne: The sector forecasts record turnover in 2021

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