Liquorland Explained

Liquorland
Type:Subsidiary
Location City:Hawthorn East, Victoria
Location Country:
Australia
Num Locations:~1000 stores
Num Locations Year:2023
Key People:Greg Davis,[1] Director, Coles Liquor
Industry:Retail
Products:Liquor
Parent:Coles Liquor

Liquorland is an Australian liquor store chain. It is one of three liquor brands within the Coles Group,[2] along with the larger discount format First Choice Liquor and more upmarket orientated Vintage Cellars. The Liquorland chain comprised 743 stores as of March 2023.[3]

History

Coles Supermarkets established interests with its expansion into liquor in 1981, with the acquisition of Liquorland and Vintage Cellars.[4] [5] In November 2007 Wesfarmers acquired the Coles Group and as a result the separate Coles division was formed, but was again demerged on 21 November 2018.[6]

Most Liquorland outlets are adjacent to or within Coles Supermarkets, except in Queensland, where legislation forbids this practice. In order to maintain a presence, Liquorland operated the Spirit Hotel chain, which comprised 87 hotels as of March 2019 (76 in Queensland, seven in South Australia and four in Western Australia).[7]

Wesfarmers had long expressed discomfort about the poker machines in Spirit Hotel's pubs and had been trying to sell its hotel portfolio while retaining its lucrative liquor store business.[8] [9] In March 2019, Coles established a joint venture with Australian Venue Co. (AVC) where AVC would take over operations of the hotels and receive its profits while Coles would run the liquor stores and receive its profits. If AVC purchased further hotels in Queensland, Coles would also have the right to operate existing liquor stores attached to the hotels or open new stores using the hotels' liquor licenses. Coles received $200 million from AVC as part of the deal.[10] [11] [12]

Beginning in 2020, Liquorland began transitioning stores to a new, more upmarket visual identity.[13] In August 2022, the first Liquorland store was opened in Tasmania.[14] In February 2024, Coles Liquor reached an agreement to acquire all 20 of Federal Group's 9/11 liquor stores in Tasmania.[15] The stores were subsequently rebranded as Liquorland.[16]

Sub-brands

Steamrail Brewing Company

In January 2013 Coles released a range of beers under the brand Steamrail Brewing Company.[18] The beers, 'Ghost of Eyre' Pale ale, 'Gold Digger' Golden Ale and 'Lucky Amber' Amber Ale, were stocked in First Choice Liquor and Liquorland outlets. All the bottles bear the company name, Steamrail Brewing, and the address of the Coles Supermarkets' headquarters.[19] [20] The Steamrail Brewing Company range is brewed at the Asahi Breweries plant in Laverton, Victoria.[21]

Liquorland exclusive beer brands also include Hammer 'N' Tongs, 3 Pub Circus and Lorry Boys.[22] [23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Coles reshuffles its liquor lineup with Rudd adviser Andrew Charlton sidelined. The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 August 2015.
  2. Web site: Coles Division . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101226121213/http://wesfarmers.com.au/our-businesses/coles.html . 26 December 2010 . 3 January 2011 . Wesfarmers.
  3. Web site: Alexander . Angela . 2023-03-29 . Liquorland Refreshes Brand Identity Via Hulsbosch . 2023-08-26 . B&T . en-US.
  4. Web site: Our History. www.coles.com.au. 2016-10-25.
  5. Web site: Facebook. www.facebook.com. 2016-10-25.
  6. Web site: Our history . 2016-10-25 . www.wesfarmers.com.au.
  7. Web site: 2019-03-06 . Portfolio of 87 Coles pubs sold to Australian Venue Co for $200m . 2023-08-28 . The Hotel Conversation . en.
  8. Web site: Hatch . Patrick . 2018-09-04 . Coles committed to pokies exit after spin-off, says Wesfarmers boss . 2023-08-28 . The Sydney Morning Herald . en.
  9. Web site: Hatch . Patrick . 2018-05-30 . Coles wants to punt pubs but won't give up the drink altogether . 2023-08-28 . The Sydney Morning Herald . en.
  10. Web site: Hatch . Patrick . 2019-03-04 . Coles punts pubs and pokies in $200m joint-venture deal . 2023-08-28 . The Sydney Morning Herald . en.
  11. Web site: Hawtin-Butcher . Craig . 2019-03-06 . Coles offloads hotels and pokies to Australian Venue Co . 2023-08-28 . The Shout . en-US.
  12. Web site: House . Alana . 2021-03-06 . Australian Venue Co takes over Coles pubs in Queensland . 2023-08-28 . Drinks Bulletin.
  13. Web site: House . Alana . 2020-08-19 . Coles trials bold new look for Liquorland . 2023-08-26 . Drinks Trade . en-US.
  14. Web site: Dong . Irene . 2022-08-04 . Coles Group opens Tasmania's first Liquorland . 2024-05-06 . Inside FMCG . en-AU.
  15. Web site: Profaca . Cody . 2024-02-05 . Coles Group Acquires Tasmania’s 9/11 Bottle Shop Chain . 2024-05-06 . Drinks Trade . en-US.
  16. Web site: 2024-05-04 . 9/11 to Liquorland: Coles unveils bottleshop rebranding plans . 2024-05-06 . Pulse Tasmania . en-AU.
  17. https://theshout.com.au/liquorland-trialling-new-warehouse-format/ Liquorland trialling new warehouse format
  18. Web site: CHOICE asks how Aussie is our craft beer?. Consumers Federation of Australia. 28 January 2014. 21 July 2014.
  19. Web site: Coles launches Steamrail Brewing Co.. The Intermedia Group. The Shout. Atkinson. James. 18 January 2013. 21 July 2014.
  20. Web site: Who is the Steamrail Brewing Company?. Kirkegaard. Matt. 6 February 2013. 21 July 2014.
  21. News: Craft Beer Sold as Local when Actually Imported Interstate. News.com.au. 11 May 2014. 21 July 2014.
  22. News: Coles puts face to private label beer. 2015-10-23. Australian Brews News. en-US. 2016-10-25.
  23. Web site: FREEMAN HAMMER 'N' TONGS - 1652175. Intellectual Property Australia. 21 July 2014.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Liquorland".

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