Major Aussie bottleshop chains to vanish completely
Two major brands are set to disappear from Aussie streets as part of a huge shake up of the alcohol market scene.
Companies
Don't miss out on the headlines from Companies. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Two major Australian bottleshop chains are set to disappear by the end of 2025 as Coles consolidates in its battle against rival booze offerings.
Vintage Cellars and First Choice will be rolled into the Liquorland branding under the new names Liquorland Cellars and Liquorland Warehouse.
About 160 stores will be renamed and refitted, expanding Liquorland’s footprint by a quarter, following a pilot program ran at 14 stores across South Australia, Victoria and Queensland.
“This is the biggest transformation in the history of Coles Liquor Group, and we believe it will have a meaningful impact on how we serve customers the drinks they want, when they want them, and how we partner with suppliers to deliver value,” Coles Liquor chief executive Michael Courtney said.
“As we move towards a unified promotional strategy, we are strengthening our value proposition for customers with consistent and competitive pricing under one brand and one website.”
Liquorland will also introduce a price match service “which means if you see a better price at another retailer, we’ll match it”, Mr Courtney said.
“In terms of range, we are bringing a more tailored and relevant drink selection from the three banners under one roof.
“This means we will be unlocking the best-selling premium drops from Vintage Cellars and great value drinks from First Choice Liquor Market, and making them more accessible to customers through Liquorland across the country.”
There are more than 80 Vintage Cellars around Australia, which offer more up-market options, while First Choice has a warehouse-style offering similar to rival Dan Murphy’s.
Mr Courtney said the recent pilot saw brand awareness rise 16 per cent and 30 per cent of customers said they would return more often after the rebrand.
“These results give us full confidence that uniting under the Liquorland brand is the way forward not just for us as a business but for our customers,” he said.
Vintage Cellars was first opened in Adelaide in 1951 and was positioned as a higher-end option in Coles’ liquor brands.
First Choice was born from the former Quaffers brand and emerged in 2005, growing to more than 90 shopfronts in 2018.
Mr Courtney had flagged the rebranding in September when he said both Vintage and First Choice “suffer from … low brand awareness”.
Originally published as Major Aussie bottleshop chains to vanish completely
Iconic sight to vanish from UK streets
A household name which has been open across the UK for more than 200 years will disappear within months in another sign of retail woes.
Flights doubled as airline deal given nod
The competition regulator has given the green light for a partnership between Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways, set to double flights over five years.