With a new leap of some 40 % growth in 2021, the Arranged segment continues its meteoric rise in mainland France, while doing extremely well in Reunion. Something to rejoice the three main actors and beneficiaries of this craze, all Reunion Islanders : the Isautier House, at the origin of the phenomenon, Rivière du Mât and Charrette, respectively first, second and third in the category in mainland France. Reunion is the big winner of this vogue which stimulates a rum market which itself continues to progress in these other segments. Enough to arouse vocations as shown by the number of brands, more than sixty today, who try to take advantage of the Eldorado of arranged rum.
Did Reunion find, with the Arranged, the product of a new radiance that she has so long hoped for and sought? We would say so given the figures for the national rum market, which show that the boom of Arranged, launched 10 years ago at the initiative of Maison Isautier, does not fall back and mainly benefits Reunion producers. The Arranged, which represented around 2% of the total rum market in 2018, represented 7,5% at the end of 2020 and 9,4 % fin 2021. Another sign of the powerful dynamic underway : in 2021, 4,5% of French households have purchased mixed rum *, against 3,5% in 2020 and 2,5% in 2019. The penetration rate of rum in French households overall is 20%.. Les Arrangés continue to make their way into the hearts of the French, seduced by the product and more and more people are also making it at home with white rum ! Also Reunionese Arrangés brands sell by the millions of bottles : two million last year just for the leader, Isautier, which alone represents almost a third of the bottles of Arrangés sold in 2021, all brands combined.
A phenomenon in mainland France
By generating a real phenomenon, Isautier did not remain alone for long on the metropolitan market. Two of the biggest Reunion rum brands, Rivière du Mât and Charrette, followed her in this field with great success as well. The West Indians didn’t delay either : especially, the Guadeloupean brand Damoiseau is doing well (5% the PDM and 2021). Joined the movement, there's. at two years old, distributor brands (12% the PDM and 2021). The craze for arranged rum is also reflected in a multitude of artisanal brands. Very small producers are getting started all over France. Isautier now lists more than 60 Arranged brands ! Thus Breiz’île Rhum and its Breton Arrangés, whose founders lived in Guadeloupe. First distributed in their restaurant, the range has expanded, widening its distribution. Among the most recent vocations, Rhumarcable was created last year in a village of 800 inhabitants in Haute-Marne ! Even more surprising, the metropolis acclimates the art of Arrangés to the fruits of the continent and we find Arrangés with melon, with apricot, with apple…
Three Reunion Islanders on the podium
The fact remains that with Isautier, Rivière du Mât and Charrette, Reunion rum remains the big winner of the metropolitan craze for Arrangés. Each with their own identity, the three Reunion producers firmly hold the upper hand. Nielsen* Arranged Purchase measurements for the entire year 2021 in hypermarkets, supermarket and local shops, confirm this primacy with the following national results. Value : Isautier (27,6 %), Mât River (19,9 %), Cart (14 %). And volume : Isautier (25,1 %), Mât River (23,9 %), Cart (13,5 %). Or an overall market share for Reunion Islanders of more than 60% in value and volume.
Quality and distribution, keys to success
With the quality and creativity of perfumes, the success of Arrangés is based on a distribution power that meets demand. It allows the Arranged to conquer a good part of the national territory. If Cart, number three in the national rum market, was already widely distributed in mainland France, this was not the case for Isautier and Rivière du Mât. These two brands are now present almost everywhere in France. Partner of Isautier for ten years, the Martinican distributor Macéo, specialized in products from the French Overseas Territories, developed with the Reunion company. Bought by Martiniquaise in 2011, Rivière du Mât benefits from the resources of the second largest French spirits group. Cart, distributed by Terroirs Distillers, was already raised to the highest level. The growth potential of Arrangés can also be seen in the distribution of the product : fin 2021, 63% of metropolitan points of sale (hyper, super and local shops) proposed Arranged. There were 56% a year earlier. There is therefore still significant room for improvement. The conquest of national territory by the Arranged is not over.
THE APPELLATION “ARRANGED RUM” PROHIBITED
For regulation, the Arrangés are “rum punches”. The mention
“rum” cannot appear on labels. This regulatory definition results in the obligation to position Arrangés away from “real” rums within the shelf..
