just-drinks authors and correspondents

Biography

A trained newspaper journalist, Richard Woodard was editor of the drinks trade magazine Wine & Spirit International from 2000 to 2005, responsible for writing, commissioning and producing a broad range of business-related content relevant to the international drinks industry.

He now works freelance and is a regular contributor to just-drinks.com, Decanter, The Spirits Business, The Drinks Business and Imbibe, among others.

Columns by Richard Woodard

Comment - Spirits - A Word with Woodard

Resident columnist and spirits know-it-all Richard Woodard provides his monthly take on the latest in the global white spirits industry.

Articles by Richard Woodard

What are the growth prospects like for international whisk(e)y? - Research in Focus 26 September 2017

The robust growth of the huge international whisk(e)y category is set to continue in the coming years, driven by generational shifts, helpful cultural associations and the dominant (in volume terms) Indian whisky category. But, after hitting 307m cases in volume sales in 2016 and adding more than 46m cases over the past five years, growth will moderate slightly in the 2016-2021 period, reaching 350m-plus cases at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +2.9%.

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International whisky segment's "global renaissance" limited only by supply - research 26 September 2017

The vast and diverse international whisky category is set to continue its recent growth trajectory, latest research has concluded, driven in particular by the bright medium- and long-term prospects for Indian whisky.

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How the new business environment is hampering big drinks companies - Analysis 13 September 2017

Consumer goods - including alcohol and soft drinks - are approaching a "challenging crossroads", according to one analyst group, thanks to a number of factors including the growing mistrust of big brands.

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Ex-Accolade Wines CEO Paul Schaafsma returns to the wine fold with Invivo 12 September 2017

Former Accolade Wines CEO Paul Schaafsma has been named as a director of New Zealand crowd-funded wine producer Invivo.

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Why big spirits firms are willing to pay for potential - Comment 27 July 2017

This month, spirits columnist Richard Woodard takes a closer look at why the world's largest spirits firms are investing in relatively small brands. 

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The road ahead for Tequila and mezcal - Research in Focus 26 July 2017

Tequila will continue to be one of the global spirits industry's most dynamic and buoyant categories for the next five years – but there are challenges too, says a new joint report from Just-drinks and the IWSR.

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Mezcal to bolster Tequila with growth of agave spirits set to continue - research 26 July 2017

Global sales of agave-based spirits are poised for further growth, new research claims, as Tequila's success continues in the next few years, supplemented by the increasing significance of mezcal.

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Why the spirits brands of the past should be wary of the future - Comment 6 July 2017

When your brand is steeped in history, how do you make it relevant to the consumers of today, without diluting that long-held cachet? Richard Woodard considers the dilemma facing the likes of Gruppo Campari's Grand Marnier and Remy Cointreau's Cointreau brands.

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Flavoured spirits poised for bounceback in next four years - research 7 June 2017

The large and diverse flavoured spirits category will stage a modest recovery over the next few years, ending a recent trend of long-term decline, according to a new joint report from just-drinks and The IWSR.

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Slide goes on for flavoured spirits, but opportunities remain - Research in Focus 6 June 2017

The global flavoured spirits market remains in the midst of a slow, long-term decline, according to research released this week, but the diversity of the 150m-case-plus category creates a complex picture that defies easy generalisations.