In February this year, Coles Liquor Group struck a deal with Federal Group, the owners of Tasmania’s 9/11 bottleshops, seeing Coles Liquor acquire all 20 of its stores across the state.
The transaction included both hotel attached and standalone 9/11 bottleshops, and with the transition of the stores to the Liquorland banner now complete, Coles Liquor Group CEO Michael Courtney shared an update with National Liquor News.
“We’ve officially welcomed all 20 of the 9/11 stores to the Liquorland fleet, joining our existing Tasmanian stores in Hobart’s Eastlands and Glebe Hill.
“We’re pleased to have increased our footprint in Tasmania with an additional seven stores in the north and 13 in the south, supporting our vision of being a simpler, more accessible and locally relevant drinks specialist,” he stated.
Under the transition, Courtney says the new stores have been refreshed to reflect the Liquorland brand with new external signage and improvements to the customer experience, such as point of sale registers and ticketing.
“We’re committed to continuing the strong legacy of the 9/11 brand that locals know and love, and ensuring that Tasmanians can still purchase their favourite locally made drinks. Our Tasmanian Liquorland stores feature more than 400 craft beers and boutique wines, beers and spirits from over 70 Tassie winemakers, brewers and distillers.
“Some of the latest local additions to our shelves include the award-winning Pure Origin Tasmanian Gin and Vodka range sourced from the Central Highlands, as well as outstanding wines such as Milton and Bream Creek Vineyards from Tasmania’s premier wine regions,” he added.
As the business expanded its network in Tasmania, all existing 9/11 head office and store team members were offered employment with Coles Liquor, ensuring a smooth transition for customers and team members as more than 150 local liquor experts joined the team.
Courtney said: “The biggest learnings from the transition have been those shared by the experienced and passionate 9/11 team members who were all offered employment with us.
“They reiterated the importance of having a strong local offering and presence across wines, spirits, beers and RTDs and this reinforces the need to retain and grow our local knowledge.
“Our new team members have been such a valuable asset in helping us to better understand our customers and ensure we’re delivering on our vision to be a truly local drinks specialist,” he continued.
Bringing the total of Liquorland stores in Tasmania from two to 22, the majority of which are situated in close proximity to a Coles supermarket, the focus for the business will be building on its group strategy to be a destination for food and drink, as well as focusing on value-add incentives for customers.
“We understand many of our customers are doing it tough, so we’re constantly looking for ways to provide great value at the checkout,” says Courtney.
One of the new incentives offered to Tasmanian customers under the Liquorland banner is the ability to redeem Flybuys points in-store at Liquorland, receiving instant savings at the checkout, and Courtney says locals are pleased with this offering.
“Tasmanians have embraced the change and we’re hearing they’re enjoying being able to visit their local store and still see the familiar faces of the 9/11 team.
“Customers are also loving the added value of being able to use their Flybuys card now at more locations across Tasmania and earn one point for every dollar they spend. During the transition, 9/11 rewards program members were invited to join Flybuys and convert their existing points.
“For every 9/11 loyalty point, we gave our customers two Flybuys points, helping them to get to 2,000 bonus points faster and instantly receive $10 off their next shop.
“At Liquorland we’re all about convenience and now customers can access free Click & Collect available for pick up in as fast as 30 minutes or take advantage of our Express Delivery service,” Courtney continued.
“In a first for the state, our customers can also order their favourite drinks through our partner delivery platforms Uber Eats and DoorDash making it easier for them to get their favourite drinks when it suits them.”
Now that the transition is complete, the focus for Liquorland across the 20 Tasmania stores is to support its new team members as they settle in, and ensure customer experience meets expectations.
“We’ll be prioritising feedback from locals so that we can expand our range in line with what they enjoy drinking most. We know value is extremely important to our customers so we’re working hard to ensure we’re providing great offers on customer favourites.
“Looking ahead, a key part of the success of our stores will be our strong relationships with local Tasmanian suppliers to ensure we’re delivering a great range of wines, beers and spirits to suit every budget, drinking preference and occasion,” concluded Courtney.