Supermarket giant Woolworths has a major plan to strengthen its strategic position in the Australian liquor sector with a new online portal to support its flagship store chain, Dan Murphy’s. It will eventually also roll out to BWS and its Langton’s fine wine auction house.
“We know an inspiring and locally relevant range is increasingly important to our customers. Endeavour Marketplace allows us to work with suppliers to expand the range of products we offer our customers beyond what we can stock on shelf. Whether it’s a limited release wine, a new craft beer or an artisan spirit, Endeavour Marketplace is a great platform for suppliers to share their hidden gem with our customers,” Claire Smith, general manager Customer Connections, Endeavour Drinks, said to Inside FMCG.
Woolworths said the new Endeavour Marketplace was designed from the ground up with simplicity, ease of navigation and customer focus in mind. It will allow its suppliers to offer niche and specialty products to their customers via Dan Murphy’s online portal.
Endeavour Marketplace runs on a dropship model, which means the company will not have a physical hold over its supplier’s liquor stock. Woolworths is stepping up its liquor business as online retail giants Amazon and eBay continue to win over both Australian suppliers and consumers.
Endeavour Drinks Group launched the drinks marketplace Dan Murphy’s Connections in 2014 and since then the company said it has grown from 30 suppliers to over 500, with more than 6,000 products ranged online with Dan Murphy’s.
“Off the back of its success, we have been working to create a new supplier portal known as Endeavour Marketplace, which we launched to industry partners earlier this month,” said Woolworths to Inside FMCG.
The Australian also reported that the headhoncho of the supermarket giant Brad Banducci has delved into expanding Woolworths’ online and digital frontiers by opening a new tech lab called WooliesX. The avant garde tech lab targets to invest in and create new IT initiatives.
Roy Morgan’s latest Alcohol Retail Currency Report has also recently reported the alcohol retailer Dan Murphy’s had the biggest increase of share of market for the retail giant, up 1.2 per cent in the 12 months to March 2018.
