Dan Murphy’s, BWS owner inks new supplier charter and data deal

Endeavour Group has inked a new supplier charter with its liquor suppliers and will offer greater sales data to help them plan and pitch their products.

Dan Murphy’s and BWS owner Endeavour Group has inked a new supplier charter and data deal with its liquor suppliers.

Dan Murphy’s and BWS owner Endeavour Group has launched a two-pronged campaign to improve its relationship with liquor suppliers, unveiling a maiden trade supplier charter as well as a new data tool to give greater transparency to those liquor suppliers on sales flow.

Endeavour, which owns a network of 350 pubs after its spin-off from Woolworths, has unveiled an industry-first data tool for suppliers at its supplier summit in Sydney on Thursday, in response to growing demand for greater data and insights transparency in the retail liquor industry.

The new data pool, called Complete Liquor, has been established by data and insights company Circana, and is constructed to deliver clarity about the retail liquor market for trade suppliers. For the first time, the industry will have access to a free report offering a top-level overview of the beer, wine, spirits and pre-mix categories, providing a clear and comprehensive market perspective, Endeavour said.

Meanwhile, with more than 2,000 trade suppliers across Dan Murphy’s, BWS and ALH (its pubs and hotels arm), Endeavour will also launch its first trade supplier charter – which it is billing as a new public commitment to continuous improvement in supplier relations, which builds on its existing policies and initiatives.

Endeavour chief executive Steve Donohue says the trade supplier charter and Complete Liquor tool demonstrate a focus on strong partnerships and innovation.

“We have doubled the number of small suppliers we work with since 2018, and now 90 per cent of what we range is sourced from independent, small suppliers. Importantly, some of the most popular drinks we sell today didn’t exist two years ago, which is a testament to their responsiveness to changing customer preferences,” Mr Donohue said.

“After three years as a stand-alone company, we are pleased with our progress in building long-term partnerships with our suppliers, but we are always looking for ways to improve.

“From the introduction of 14-day payment terms for smaller suppliers, the launch of Dan Murphy’s Marketplace to give suppliers more routes to market, and hosting regular Supplier Forums and sharing data and insights, our track record demonstrates this.

“That is why our Trade Supplier Charter is built on three principles: transparency, simplicity, and genuine collaboration.”

Dan Murphy's Norman Gardens officially opened on April 19. Picture: Aden Stokes

The trade supplier charter comes as large retailers such as Endeavour, Coles, Woolworths and Bunnings came under pressure at the recent senate inquiry into the supermarkets over the treatment of suppliers.

Although ostensibly set up to put the blow torch to the supermarkets, the Greens-led senate inquiry also heard from Endeavour, where the drinks and pubs group distanced itself from the intense criticisms of the supermarkets and argued it operated in a vastly different retail environment.

Ultimately, the senate inquiry did not seek to rope Endeavour or liquor retailers into a new regulatory framework, and did not make any negative findings about Endeavour, but the spotlight of the inquiry did raise the issue of retailers in general and their treatment of suppliers.

Meanwhile, in terms of access to data, Mr Donohue said discussions with suppliers had raised consistently the need for quality data and insights to help guide supplier decision-making.

Australian Grape & Wine, which represents the interests of the more than 2,100 winemakers and 6,000 wine grape growers, had raised the issue of greater access to trade data in its submission to the senate inquiry into the supermarkets.

The industry group argued that their members were not privy to crucial trade and consumer data, which put them at a stark disadvantage to alcohol brands owned or controlled by the retailers.

As part of the new supplier charter, Endeavour has pledged to share insights (including relevant consumer data) through its quarterly publication for suppliers as well as through supplier forums, its Supplier Connect tool, and regular category “deep dives”.

“This helps keep our suppliers well-informed about market trends, customer behaviour and other factors influencing our industry.”

Originally published as Dan Murphy’s, BWS owner inks new supplier charter and data deal