Johnnie Walker Red Label

Johnnie Walker Red Label has lost £9m after volumes crashed by nearly 40% last year

Volumes of Johnnie Walker have fallen by nearly a quarter after owner Diageo delisted a one-litre bottle of its Red Label blended whisky.

The brand’s sales have tumbled by £8.2m to £44.9m on volumes down 24%, driven by a collapse in sales of Johnnie Walker Red Label [NIQ 52 w/e 19 April 2025. The whisky has lost £9.0m after volumes crashed by 39.3%.

Johnnie Walker Red Label 1l was last available on 18 June in Ocado, having already disappeared from Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco in the past 12 months [Assosia]. However, all five retailers continue to stock the 70cl bottles of Red Label.

“Johnnie Walker Red Label one-litre SKU was delisted in Great Britain last year,” a Diageo spokesman confirmed. When the impact of that move was removed from the figures, the trademark “was in growth”, he claimed.

 

More Britain’s Biggest Alcohol Brands:

 

Red Label is now the second most valuable label within the Johnnie Walker brand behind Black Label, sales of which have dipped by just £111k to £20.4m. Volumes of the cheaper Red Label still outstrip those of Black Label, however.

Johnnie Walker’s fortunes reflects a broader malaise in blended scotch whisky in the UK. All five blends in The Grocer’s Britain’s Biggest Alcohol Brands report 2025 have seen volumes slide in the past 12 months [NIQ 52 w/e 19 April 2025]. By contrast, single malt brand Jura has entered the top 100 after adding £1.9m on volumes up 11.6%. 

“The whisky category in the UK remained “vibrant”, Diageo insisted, adding it had “ambitious plans” for the Johnnie Walker brand.

Recent marketing initiatives by the whisky have included ‘Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ice Chalet’ – an activation at Selfridges London in collaboration with luxury skiwear brand Perfect Moment, and a limited-edition Black Label bottle inspired by Netflix’s Squid Game.

Topics