Important and Substantial Expression of Variety
Langdorf Barossa Valley Grenache 2013
Fabulous Barossa Valley Discovery
Stonevale 'Red Barn' Bin 671 Winemakers Blend Barossa Valley 2016
Biggest of the Teusner Range
Teusner The Playground Dr Franks Barossa Valley Durif 2014
Tuesday, Friday, 26th March 2010 - David Farmer
Dan Murphys
I was recently told that the total liquor market in Australia is worth some $22 billion at the retail level. This includes all retail sales plus all restaurant and hotel sales and oddities such as supplying ships. Retail sales through liquor stores, termed off-licence, are about $13 billion of this amount.
Steadily this is all being controlled by Woolworths and Coles, with for example many restaurants and publicans buying from Dan Murphy (Woolworths) or First Choice (Coles). This is particularly so in regions where the supply chains are stretched, such as North Queensland. Much of this we have tracked over the years.
Recently Coles revealed that their sales are now $3.5 billion annually and Woolworths has also told us that their six months trading for 2009-2010 was $3.1 billion suggesting a figure of $6 billion for the year. So at $9.5 billion total the independent trade is steadily being strangled. This figure though will include hotel sales of which both have a large number.
Hard now to believe that Coles liquor was twice the size of Woolworths in 2000 and the gap is growing.
Aldi is battling it out and we remain impressed with direct marketers who are not giving an inch with the star being Grays Online. In The Australian, 28th December, 2009, Mr Poolman, CEO, is reported as saying; "About 3 per cent of bottled wine sold in Australia is bought via the company's website." That's about 600,000 cases per year.
Fosters will regret for evermore the decision to sell their pubs a few years back.