Interview: Rufus Parkinson on exclusivity, experience and elevated retail execution

Introduction: In this compelling interview with The Moodie Davitt Report Brands Director Hannah Tan, William Grant & Sons Managing Director Global Travel Retail Rufus Parkinson outlines an ambitious, innovation-led strategy that sees the company doubling down on brand storytelling, retail engagement and experiential marketing in a volatile global spirits market.

Parkinson discusses the multi-year global partnership between Glenfiddich and the Aston Martin F1 team, which will launch in late 2025 with a series of high-profile activations across 13 key airport locations.

He details strong FY2025 Q1 results, with double-digit growth in travel retail driven by The Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Hendrick’s.

Additionally, he discusses the momentum behind recent innovations and the group’s investment in disruptive gifting formats, experiential launches and upgraded permanent retail spaces across Asia Pacific.

With encouraging performances in key growth markets, including India, China and the Middle East, alongside ongoing expansion of the group’s shop-in-shop footprint, Parkinson remains confident in the long-term value of travel retail – despite continuing unstable global conditions.

Glenfiddich x Aston Martin F1

Glenfiddich’s partnership with the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team, officially announced in November 2024, brings together two brands synonymous with heritage, innovation and the pursuit of excellence, Parkinson says.

“It’s a brilliant partnership and a great opportunity to bring new consumers into both the brand and the category. We’re launching globally in September or October with major activations in domestic and travel retail channels across 13 airports. We’re really trying to synchronise everything for maximum impact.

“The largest will be at Singapore Changi Airport, where we’ll display the Aston Martin F1 car on the Terminal 3 concourse. At the same time, we will launch a limited-edition travel retail exclusive which will be available in the channel within a few months.”

Notably, a rare 1959 Glenfiddich bottle is at the heart of the partnership. Parkinson explains, “1959 marks the year Aston Martin first entered Formula 1 so Glenfiddich Master Distiller Brian Kinsman went into our warehouses and found a cask from that year. We’ve bottled just five bottles of that liquid.

“One will be on display at Singapore Changi Airport with a retail price of £75,000, really underscoring the importance of travel retail to our premiumisation journey with Glenfiddich. Another bottle will likely go to Harrods in the UK.”

William Grant & Sons is putting consumer experience front and centre to bring the Glenfiddich x Aston Martin F1 partnership to life. “Experience is key for us,” Parkinson explains. “We’re leveraging this powerful partnership with Aston Martin F1 and showcasing it in a way that will stop travellers in their tracks.

“All activations will feature interactive elements, though Changi will be the most immersive with the actual Aston Martin F1 car on display. There will be digital storytelling around the two brands, product trials, merchandise, helmets and racing suits. Engagement is central to bringing this incredible partnership to life.

“We’re also investing heavily in Out of Home advertising,” he adds. “You may have seen some of the creatives at the recent Shanghai and Miami Grand Prix. We’ll tie our activations around key races, including Singapore, Silverstone, Miami and Shanghai.”

Strategic innovation fills gaps in the portfolio

While the spirits category in travel retail is faced with challenges of falling spend and conversion, William Grant & Sons has enjoyed strong growth over the past year – particularly in Asia Pacific travel retail.

This performance, according to Parkinson, is underpinned by strategic innovation and new product development, including The Balvenie 12 Year Old Golden Cask alongside Hendrick’s Sunspell, Grand Cabaret and The Whimsical Watering Can.

He explains, “We closed Q1 with strong double-digit growth in travel retail, largely driven by Glenfiddich and The Balvenie. In terms of product development, we’re prioritising our core brands – The Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Hendrick’s. We’ve stayed consistent in our investment, with differentiated ranges for travel retail and domestic channels.

“Last year, we identified some gaps in our range so we launched a 12 Year Old Balvenie that’s performing very well in the market. We’ve activated it across around 20 airports.”

The travel retail-exclusive The Balvenie 12 Year Old Golden Cask was aged in traditional ex-bourbon casks and finished in a blend of Caribbean and Scottish-aged rum casks. The resulting expression offers layers of honey, smooth vanilla and tropical fruit complexity.

The Golden Cask campaign ran at Singapore Changi, Seoul Incheon, Hong Kong, Taipei Taoyuan, London Heathrow, Shanghai Pudong, Beijing Capital, Istanbul, Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Delhi Indira Gandhi and Dubai international airports. In coming months, it will be rolled out at London Gatwick, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Los Angeles international airports. 

“Additionally, we launched the Grand Cabaret expression for Hendrick’s and that’s now in 29 airports,” he adds. “It’s adding incremental sales to our existing Hendrick’s offering together with Amazonia. Both are working together to build that category.

Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret channels the opulence of early 20th-century Paris with a richly layered, fruit-forward spirit that balances decadent stone-fruit notes and subtle herbaceous undertones.

“We’ve also introduced The Whimsical Watering Can from Hendrick’s, a fun and disruptive offering in the gifting space. There is nothing quite like it in global travel retail. We’ve created only a limited production run of these, so if consumers are keen to add it to their collection of Hendrick’s oddities, they’ll need to snag one while they can.”

Monkey Shoulder has the quality credentials of a malt, but a more accessible positioning, which is very in demand for certain markets. It is doing especially well in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and India.

Commenting on the wider India opportunity, Parkinson says: “William Grant & Sons is very strong in India. Glenfiddich remains the leading single malt in the market, and Monkey Shoulder is growing rapidly. It’s a natural trade-up from blended Scotch, and it resonates with younger consumers.

“We recently opened a standout multibrand space at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai in partnership with Ospree, further driving our expansion in India.”

Another focus for William Grant & Sons over the past year is the renovation of its retail network, which falls in line with its wider premiumisation strategy. A key part of this upgrade is the expansion of its multi-brand shop-in-shop concept, first introduced at Incheon Airport in 2024 with Shinsegae Duty Free.

Parkinson says, “We’ve been upgrading both our activations and permanent fixtures. Incheon was our first permanent shop-in-shop, and now we have them in seven – soon eight – locations including Hainan, Taipei, Singapore T2 (launching next month), Hong Kong, Mumbai and soon Delhi. We’re also looking to expand into Europe.”

Commenting on goal of the shop-in-shop model, Parkinson adds: “The concept works especially well for our malts portfolio. It allows us to bring storytelling to the fore – through digital engagement, tastings and gifting personalisation. These elements really resonate in this part of the world.”

Looking ahead

Offering his outlook for the year ahead, Parkinson says: “It’s still a volatile landscape. There are challenges in markets like the USA, and tariff concerns in China.

“Luckily, we are not very impacted by the tariffs in the USA as travel retail is still a relatively small part of our US business. However, that could change as new airport infrastructure comes online. For example, JFK Terminal 1 could open up new opportunities.

“But we’re seeing strong growth in India and the Middle East. China remains a huge opportunity – imported spirits account for only about 1% of the total market, so the room for growth is massive. Consumers are increasingly drawn to brands with authenticity, heritage, and quality – and that’s where we’re focused.”