Coles Liquor Group has today announced the retailer will commence the national alignment of Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor Market under the much-loved Liquorland brand following a successful trial, which will transform its customer offer nationwide.
Starting next month, the national roll out will see all Coles Liquor stores unified under three banners: Liquorland, Liquorland Cellars and Liquorland Warehouse, with the purpose of delivering a consistent experience and greater value for customers, no matter where they shop.
The new store formats will simplify the customer offer across 984 stores by aligning product range, promotions, Flybuys loyalty program, and omnichannel service - all underpinned by Liquorland's new Price Match Promise[1].
The 16-week pilot program – trialled at 14 selected stores in South Australia, Victoria and Queensland, demonstrated increased brand awareness and customer engagement, repeat visit and overall greater shopping satisfaction.
Coles Liquor Chief Executive Michael Courtney said the announcement represented a significant milestone for the business by bringing together the best elements of all three brands across value, range and convenience.
"As we move towards a unified promotional strategy, we are strengthening our value proposition for customers with consistent and competitive pricing under one brand and one website. Customers will be able to benefit from the country's most-loved rewards program – Flybuys, and access our Price Match Promise, which means if you see a better price at another retailer, we'll match it.
"In terms of range, we are bringing a more tailored and relevant drink selection from the three banners under one roof. This means we will be unlocking the best-selling premium drops from Vintage Cellars and great value drinks from First Choice Liquor Market, and making them more accessible to customers through Liquorland across the country.
"The results of the pilot program exceeded our expectations across all measures. We were pleased to see brand awareness improve by 16% and found customers visited our stores more frequently, and 30% of customers who shopped at our pilot stores said they plan to shop with us more often compared to before the rebrand.
"These results give us full confidence that uniting under the Liquorland brand is the way forward not just for us as a business but for our customers."
Around 160 Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor Market stores will be transformed as part of the national roll out, expected to be completed by end of 2025. The program will increase Liquorland's footprint by 25%, with many of the stores located near or adjacent to a Coles supermarket.
Since November 2024, Coles Liquor has converted 14 stores to Liquorland Cellars and Liquorland Warehouse, including nine stores in South Australia, three Vintage Cellars stores in Victoria and two First Choice Liquor Market stores in Queensland.
The Liquorland pilot marked the beginning of the next phase in its transformation journey, which over the past five years has seen more than 670 stores revamped to the new Black & White format including a more spacious store layout, clearer in-store signage and a tailored range.
Liquorland first launched in Australia in 1971 and currently has 818 stores across the country.
