Coles Liquor Group has today announced it will commence the national alignment of Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor Market under the Liquorland brand.
This follows a "successful trial" which will see the Coles customer offering changed nationwide.
Starting in April, a national roll out will see all Coles Liquor stores unified under three banners: Liquorland, Liquorland Cellars and Liquorland Warehouse. So three brands - just like before.
Coles says this will deliver "a consistent experience and greater value for customers" no matter where they shop.
It is said the new store formats will simplify the customer offer across 984 stores by aligning product range, promotions, Flybuys loyalty program, and omnichannel service - all underpinned by Liquorland’s new price match promise.
To me that sounds like less choice.
A 16-week pilot program – trialled at 14 selected stores in South Australia, Victoria and Queensland "demonstrated increased brand awareness and customer engagement, repeat visit and overall greater shopping satisfaction".
Coles Liquor chief executive Michael Courtney said the announcement represented a significant milestone for the business by bringing together the best elements of all three brands across value, range and convenience.
“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,” 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."
The Price Match Promise apparently means if you see a better price at another retailer, then Liqourland will match it.
“In terms of range, we are bringing a more tailored and relevant drink selection from the three banners under one roof," Courtney added.
"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.
“The results of the pilot program exceeded our expectations across all measures. We were pleased to see brand awareness improve by 16% and found customers visited our stores more frequently, and 30% of customers who shopped at our pilot stores said they plan to shop with us more often compared to before 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.”
Around 160 Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor Market stores will be transformed as part of the national roll out, expected to be completed by end of 2025.
Liquorland first launched in Australia in 1971 and currently has 818 stores across the country.
I remain unconvinced, but will watch with interest. I fail to see how a shrinking range will be good for customers.
