The top talent in the Australian convenience industry was honoured on Thursday night at the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) Awards in Melbourne.
PepsiCo was the big winner on the night, taking home the award for supplier of the year as well as the snacking category.
Patties Foods took the supplier award for food on the go fighting off competition from Mrs Macs and the Handmade Food Co.
Patties general manager of Out of Home Matt Dodson told Inside FMCG that the win is a proud moment for Patties Foods and explained that the brand is ever evolving.
“Over the last 12 months, we have challenged the “frozen food is boring” paradigm to evolve Patties brands in-line with consumers’ demand more premium offerings. Winning Supplier of the Year is a testament to how Patties consumer-led insights initiatives are helping drive positive change for the industry,” he said.
Other winners included Frucor Suntory who were successful in the beverage category, and Stuart Alexander who took the award for confectionery. BP Australia was named retailer of the year.
AACS CEO Jeff Rogut said the celebration was especially poignant this year as the convenience sector has been in the spotlight in recent times.
“The AACS Gala Awards are a great way to remind ourselves of the talent and innovation that’s driving our industry forward,” Rogut said.
“Convenience stores have been in the headlines of late as victims of crime, but we won’t be defined in this way. Ours is a dynamic industry filled with people of great thinking and real action, and our award winners each exemplify the spirit of convenience in Australia.
“In particular, the commitment to innovate and find new and exciting ways to attract and serve customers is consistent across this year’s winners and finalists. Customer service is at the core of what we do, and ensuring we do this in the most convenient way possible, delivering an experience that communicates our value proposition, is the true value of convenience,” he said.