CUB owner Anheuser-Busch InBev makes online push with BoozeBud
THE owner of Carlton & United Breweries is planning a booze revolution that will see it take on dominant online liquor sellers such as Dan Murphy’s.
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CARLTON & United Breweries’ owner Anheuser-Busch InBev will sell directly to the public for the first time as it takes on dominant online liquor sellers Dan Murphy’s and Liquorland.
The world’s biggest brewer yesterday revealed it had bought online alcohol retailer BoozeBud for an undisclosed sum.
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The acquisition will see AB InBev, which took control of CUB in late 2016, increase its investment in the e-commerce platform, expanding its product range and logistics capabilities. The move by to acquire a direct-to-public online saleschannel came as CUB revealed Australian business unit president Peter Filipovic will take over as chief executive in January.
He replaces Jan Craps who will become CUB’s executive chairman and take on a larger role overseeing AB InBev’s Asian interests, based in Shanghai.
Mr Filipovic is a 21-year CUB veteran who was born and raised in Melbourne. CUB’s brands include Victorian Bitter, Carlton Draught, Fat Yak and Four Pines.
BoozeBud was formed by former investment bankers four years ago and works with the world’s biggest beverage companies, as well as more than 400 of Australia’s craft breweries, distilleries and boutique wineries.
In Sydney it offers same-day delivery to metro customers. It delivers within three to four days to addresses in Melbourne, Geelong, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Adelaide but plans to launch same-day delivery offers in Melbourne and Brisbane soon.
“Alcohol sales from an online perspective are still in their infancy in Australia and it is an immature market,” co-founder Andy Williamson said.
“We are looking forward to bringing that best-practice e-commerce experience to the Australian alcohol market.
“We have always had plans to build the leading online player in the market.”
The transaction was carried out by AB InBev’s global growth and innovation group ZX Ventures. Its Australian chief, Rodolfo Chung, said the platform would not be about exclusively selling AB Inbev products but keep the wide variety that BoozeBud offers.
Mr Chung said an appeal of BoozeBud was the in-house designed e-commerce platform. He said the investment was not about copying other online players in the market.
Upcoming features include an updated AI-driven alcohol recommendation engine.
ZX Ventures has built a reputation for investing in similar online ventures in South America and Europe. “It’s about the founders — we believe in them,” Mr Chung said of BoozeBud.
Mr Williamson said it would be “business as usual” as BoozeBud operates as a stand-alone business with current management staying in place.
“We’ve always believed it was fundamental to hold a comprehensive range given the explosion of craft breweries,” he said. “We already work with hundreds of suppliers, from the big mainstream traditional brands ... to the boutique brewers.”
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