Case Studies Alcohol William Grant & Sons
William Grant’s malts over-index in Frankfurt and Paris. In Istanbul, they had less than half their European space.
A Shelftrak audit benchmarked Glenfiddich and The Balvenie in Istanbul’s main departures store against total Europe and five other hubs. It found a competitor over-indexing on the same fixture, identifying a clear target for space equalisation.
- Client
- William Grant & Sons
- Category
- Single Malts
- Scope
- Istanbul departures v 5 European hubs
- Data
- Shelftrak audit, Aug 2024
The brief
Benchmark one store against Europe, then find out who has the space instead.
William Grant & Sons wanted to know how its Whisk(e)y portfolio was performing at Istanbul Airport, using total Europe as the benchmark. That meant measuring share of space at three levels — total alcohol, total Whisk(e)y and Single Malts — and then benchmarking Glenfiddich and The Balvenie against The Macallan, The Glenlivet and Laphroaig on the fixture itself.
Shelftrak compared Istanbul with Heathrow, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris. Whisk(e)y as a whole was close to the European norm. Single Malts were not.
What the audit found
0%
below the European average share of total alcohol space for William Grant in Istanbul
0%
below the European average share of Whisk(e)y given to Single Malts in Istanbul
0%
below the European average share of Single Malt space for William Grant in Istanbul
Finding 01
Whisk(e)y is nearly fine. Single Malts are not.
William Grant’s share of total Whisk(e)y in Istanbul is only slightly behind Europe. Its share of Single Malts is 61% behind Europe and 56% behind the UK — and total alcohol share is down 43%. The loss is concentrated in one segment, which makes it addressable.
Finding 02
Every other hub gives William Grant more of the Single Malt fixture.
Frankfurt and Paris show the portfolio over-indexing, with a fifth or more of the Single Malt space. Istanbul gives Single Malts a smaller slice of Whisk(e)y than anywhere else audited, and gives William Grant the smallest slice of that.
Finding 03
The Glenlivet has the space Glenfiddich is missing.
Glenfiddich and The Balvenie under-index in Istanbul by 62% and 55% against their own European averages. The Macallan is in line with Europe. The Glenlivet holds nearly twice its European share — a clear target brand for space equalisation.
Saffron labels = William Grant brands
Inside the store — Istanbul departures
Two facings per SKU, against The Glenlivet’s twelve.
The audit photos show Glenfiddich and The Balvenie present but thin on the fixture: 2.1 and 2.4 facings per SKU, the lowest of the key malt brands. The Glenlivet runs at 11.7. Even Laphroaig and The Macallan hold nearly double William Grant’s facings.
The contrast with a well-executed store is clear: in Heathrow T4 both brands run at 4.4 facings per SKU, roughly double what Istanbul gives them.
Shelftrak audit photos — Istanbul departures main store
SKU density ratio = SKUs per linear metre, as reported in the audit · For comparison, LHR T4: Glenfiddich 4.4 facings per SKU, The Balvenie 4.4
The recommendations
What the audit told William Grant to do next
01
Close the gap to the European average
William Grant holds 12.2% of Single Malt space across Europe and 4.7% in Istanbul. Moving the store towards the brand’s own average is a significant space and assortment gain.
02
Rebuild the position against the other malts
The Glenlivet holds nearly three times Glenfiddich’s share in Istanbul and five times its facings per SKU. The audit names the target for space equalisation and gives William Grant the evidence to reset its competitive position.
03
Lead the Single Malt category review
Single Malts are under-spaced in Istanbul as a segment, not just for one brand. The data supports William Grant advising Heinemann on a full Single Malt category development plan.
Take this case study with you
The full William Grant Istanbul study as a PDF — charts, audit photos and findings. PDF · 1.8 MB
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