NSW Retail Liquor Industry celebrates excellence!
NSW liquor retailers, suppliers, representatives and key industry stakeholders celebrated 'excellence in the retail liquor industry' at the annual LSA NSW Retail Liquor Industry Awards for Excellence Presentation Dinner on Friday 16th November at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.
Nominations were received from over 180 packaged liquor retailers across NSW for the various categories, which was the highest number of nominations ever received in the program's history.
LSA NSW CEO Terry Mott announced during the presentation that the Awards program had been further enhanced this year, with the recent partnership with Serve Legal, who will be providing the mystery shopping, with a move to provide increased focus on compliance issues.
The average 'mystery shopper evaluation' score achieved across all nominations was a solid 78.29%, with only seven (7) points separating the Top 30, and just three (3) points across the Top 10, which marked the closest ever results in the history of the Awards program.
In the Retailer categories, Chambers Cellars Meadowbank was awarded the Top NSW Liquor Store. Red Bottle Sussex Street was the Runner-Up Top Metropolitan NSW Liquor Store and Liquorland Shellharbour won the Runner-Up Top Regional NSW Liquor Store.
Cellarbrations at Wingham was presented with the Award for Consistent Excellence in recognition of the store's consistently high achievement in the program. Despite not yet being awarded the Top NSW Liquor Store award, Cellarbrations at Wingham is the only store to have consistently appeared in the Top 10 in the past four (4) years.
The New Liquor Store of the Year Award went to Liquorland Coffs Harbour.
Guy Bredin from Windang Liquor (Illawarra region) was announced as the Liquor Store Manager of the Year, and the Liquor Store Owner of the Year was awarded for the second year in a row to Shane & Tanya Madden Madden from Cellarbrations at Wingham & The Bottle-O North Haven (Mid-North Coast).
The BKG Liquor Group won the Retail Liquor Development Foundation Award for Excellence in Training award.
In the Supplier categories, the top awards were given to Lion (Beer Supplier of the Year), Accolade Wines (Wine/Champagne Supplier of the Year), Coca-Cola Amatil (Spirits Supplier of the Year) and Australian Liquor Marketers (General Service Supplier of the Year).
The Beer Representative of the Year Award was shared by Tony Quinn from Premium Beverages and Graham Carter from Carlton & United Breweries. Taz McKeough from Accolade Wines was named Wine/Champagne Representative of the Year, and Nick Smales from Coca Cola Amatil took home the Spirits Representative of the Year category for the second consecutive year.
During his speech, newly elected LSA NSW President David Reberger spoke about the challenges facing the industry, and in particular the negative media commentary on alcohol consumption, and the anti-alcohol movement driven by the health advocacy industry.
"The health advocacy industry are well organised, outrageously well-funded and pose a significant threat to the combined alcohol beverage production, retail & hospitality industry. They are determined to restrict the manner in which liquor retailers operate their businesses. Make no mistake – the health advocacy industry are lobby groups not pro-responsible alcohol consumption, which of course as a responsible industry we support – these groups are anti-alcohol!"
"Proposals from health lobby groups are not targeted at minimising harms they simply want to reduce Australia's overall alcohol beverage sales and consumption by restricting supply, increasing price and restricting the way products are advertised or promoted under the false guise that there would automatically be social & health benefits. The consequences of letting the health lobbyists get their way will result in serious negative economic consequences for this sector as whole, while not necessarily reducing health and social costs of alcohol misuse". "We all know that on balance the social and economic benefits of the liquor industry far outweigh any social costs, and we all know that the overwhelming majority of people consume alcohol products responsibly – however we need to do more to have this message penetrate media and social commentary".
"It is critical that as an industry will move pro-actively as one. As an industry, we must accept our responsibility to limit any potential social harms and costs associated with misuse of the products that we sell (irrespective of the stronger correlation between the social costs of alcohol consumption and on-premise consumption). Our initiatives such as ID-25, Don't Buy It For Them, and the ALSA Product Ranging Guidelines are all important in supporting a responsible and positive drinking culture and in demonstrating to politicians and the community that we are a socially responsible industry capable of self-regulation", David said.
Click here for a full list of winners.
Source: Liquor Stores Association NSW, 19 November 2012
