Copeland Distillery’s gin, rum and whiskey range flying off the shelves as travel booms at Belfast City Airport

The Copeland Distillery in Donaghadee has secured new listings at Belfast City Airport’s World Duty Free.

The Distillery’s gin, rum and whiskey range has only been on-shelf for six weeks so far, but sales are already off to a flying start with the Distillery’s Traditional Irish Gin the second most-popular duty-free purchase across all products sold at Belfast City within the first two weeks of being on-shelf.

Travel retail is a key part of the Distillery’s growth strategy as founder Gareth Irvine explains: “This Belfast City Airport listing is a significant listing for us in travel retail – a critical channel for us as a premium brand. We know from our presence at Belfast International and Dublin Airport that duty-free shoppers want to discover new products when travelling and have come to expect a certain quality when it comes to their purchases.

"High footfall airports are central to our growth strategy as, along with supporting sales, the travel environment provides exposure to huge numbers of local and international consumers which is an unmissable opportunity as our export footprint continues to increase across the US, Australia and Asia.

“We’re really pleased with our performance at Belfast City Airport so far – it proves how strong a match we are for travel retail. We’re looking forward to continuing to work with World Duty Free and Belfast City Airport’s commercial team as we unlock further opportunities for our growing portfolio.”

Throughout June and July, Belfast City Airport has experienced its busiest days since 2019 with up to 10,000 people travelling through the airport every day to its 27 destinations across the UK and beyond.

Michael Jackson, head of commercial at Belfast City Airport, continued: “Summer is a busy period at Belfast City Airport, with passengers wanting to treat themselves to a well-deserved holiday, so it’s fantastic to have enhanced our local spirits offering for both domestic and international travellers.

“Our travellers want to experience what makes Northern Ireland special when shopping with us, with many keen to purchase items produced locally such as gifts and mementos. With this in mind, our continued investment in Northern Irish food and drinks brands is helping to drive footfall and give passengers a taste of our region.

“We’re excited to provide a platform to The Copeland Distillery’s impressive range, which is not only value for money but also instils a fantastic sense of place with its iconic distillery located only 30 minutes from the Airport itself.”

Mark Prentice, commercial director at The Copeland Distillery says the success in One World Duty Free is due to the distillery’s range and a powerful brand story.

He added: “Travel retail is booming for us. Consumers are recognising that our range represents the very best in local craftsmanship and can connect them to the rich maritime history of Donaghadee. It’s an exciting time for the premium spirits industry with the gin, rum and whiskey categories continuing to thrive globally. As a result, we are committed to continuing to develop our range and maintain our success across the US, Europe, Australia, Asia and the UAE, and appeal to emerging markets such as Africa.”