Go Select Country SHARE PRICE: LSE 1,920.00p +0.21% FAQs CONTACTS HELP Diageo Home Our Business Our Brands Responsibility Investor News & Media Careers You are here: Home / Our Business / Our Structure / Diageo Western Europe About Us History Our People Our Structure Diageo North America Diageo Western Europe Diageo Africa, Eastern Europe and Turkey Diageo Latin America and Caribbean Diageo Asia Pacific Diageo Global Supply Diageo Technology Ventures PRINT PAGE Diageo Western Europe Diageo is the largest premium drinks business in Western Europe. Consumer marketing programmes are developed at a market level to drive consistency, efficiency and scale across all countries. Countries within Western Europe Western Europe is managed as a single market with country teams focusing on sales and customer marketing execution. This market comprises Great Britain, Ireland, Iberia, France, Germany, Benelux, Italy, Nordics, Greece, Switzerland, Austria, Diageo Guinness Continental Europe beer business and European wines. Route to market In Great Britain we sell and market our products through three business units: Diageo GB (spirits, beer and ready to drink); Percy Fox & Co (wines); and Justerini & Brooks Retail (private client wines). Products are distributed both through independent wholesalers and directly to retailers. In the on trade, products are sold through major brewers, multiple retail groups and smaller regional independent brewers and wholesalers. In both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, Diageo sells and distributes directly to both the on trade and the off trade through a telesales operation, sales calls to outlets and third-party logistics providers. Across the remainder of Western Europe, we distribute our spirits brands primarily through our own distribution companies, except for France where products are sold through a joint venture arrangement with Moët Hennessy. In Norway and Sweden, off trade sales are controlled by state monopolies, with alcohol tax rates among the highest in the world. Diageo Guinness Continental Europe, a specialist unit, distributes our beer brands in mainland Europe, focusing particularly in Germany, Russia and France, which for us are the largest mainland European beer markets by net sales. Supply operations The International Supply Centre (ISC) comprises the supply operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Italy and distils, brews, matures and packages product for other Diageo companies throughout the world. The group owns 29 whisky distilleries in Scotland, an Irish whiskey distillery and a Dublin based beer brewery. The ISC ships whisk(e)y, vodka, gin, rum, beer, wine and other spirit-based drinks in a combination of bottles, cans, kegs and pouches to over 180 countries. In 2012, we announced a £1 billion investment in Scotch whisky production and inventory. To date we have focused on expanding malt distillation capacity across Scotland at existing sites and developed a major new warehousing site to mature our inventory investment. The investment programme has generated additional employment and benefited local communities. We are also planning to build a new malt whisky distillery in Scotland. A brewing rationalisation programme will be completed in 2015. Sustainability & Responsibility In Western Europe we focus on promoting responsible drinking in every country through partnerships with government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), independent charities and large retail customers. Such partnerships include Teach about Alcohol in Sweden, a schools-based programme that helps young people to resist social pressure, peer pressure and learn to say no to alcohol. Also the Avenue programme in Greece is tackling a culture of drink driving with support from the European Commission and European Transport Safety Council. We also expanded our Learning for Life community investment programme to Scotland as part of a five-year effort aiming to provide valuable life skills, technical training and work experience to young people across various sectors. We also launched Learning for Life Programmes in Germany and Ireland. © Diageo 2015 Accessibility Terms & Conditions Privacy and Cookie Notice Site Map