By Amy Looker, editor – National Liquor News
Southern Independent Liquor (SIL) has opened the doors of its Victorian warehouse to the public with a Duncan’s Direct Factory Outlet (DFO) operating every Friday.
SIL managing director David Stephenson said he started a soft trial of the factory outlet concept in March 2014 and has been very pleased with the take-up.
“Sales at the Duncan’s DFO have continued to grow week by week so we have decided to stick with the concept and make the outlet a permanent part of our operations every Friday. As well as creating another direct sales stream for our business, the factory outlet serves as a clearing house giving our warehouse and suppliers the opportunity to shift one-off special buys, slow moving stock, bin ends and discontinued lines,” Stephenson explained.
“The Duncan’s DFO has established a diverse customer base ranging from our own customers and local licenced business owners buying in bulk, to members of the public picking up their weekend drinks.”
The Duncan’s DFO sells a wide range of beer, wine and spirits and as SIL is a publicly unlisted company, the financial returns from the factory outlet are ultimately put back into supporting Duncan’s and Oz Liquor members.
“As an independent wide-range liquor wholesaler in today today’s competitive market, SIL is continually seeking new opportunities to diversify and grow our business. The Duncan’s DFO is proving to be a valuable addition to our operations,” said Stephenson.