Global Brands records over £50m turnover for FY18

Independent drinks producer and distributor Global Brands has reported a 19.5% increase in total sales, taking turnover to more than £50m for the financial year ending 30 September 2018.

This sees gross profit rise from £11.8m to £14m for 2017-2018 and the company sold around 60m drinks last year, with its brands now available in 58 countries.

The company has seen the value of exports grow by 21% year-on-year, pinpointing strong demand for its drinks in Belgium, Italy and South Africa.

Founder and chairman of Global Brands, Steve Perez, said: “The drinks industry is so strangled by needless bureaucracy, it limits original ideas. 

“Our company growth is being driven by an innovative and entrepreneurial team that’s encouraged to do things differently. They’re constantly looking at how they can create new drinks that justify a place on supermarket shelves and in the fridges of bars, late-night venues and restaurants around the world. 

“Premium quality tasting drinks, packaged in sleek and stylish cans meant that we exceeded original sales targets for All Shook Up, selling more than 2m cans in just 10 months following launch.

“The company was founded on innovation and entrepreneurialism with the creation of vodka-based ready-to-drink VK. It’s 20 years this year since we sold our first bottle of the RTD and it’s more popular than ever – it’s the best-selling drink of its type in bars and late-night venues across the UK and we sold over 28m bottles of VK in the on and off trade last year.

“Sticking to our roots is fuelling ongoing new product development, range expansion and sales. This is creating new revenue opportunities for our customers and opening-up more markets for Global Brands. We’re currently meeting growing demand from as far afield as Columbia to China and Norway to South Korea, expanding our presence around the world.”