Last year, Australians spent a grand total of $14.5 billion on alcohol they purchased from a liquor retailer (as opposed to a bar or other licensed venue). Almost three-quarters of this went to supermarket-affiliated retailers*, with hotel bottle shops and independent stores trailing well behind, the latest Alcohol Retail Currency report from Roy Morgan Research reveals.
The most striking development was the continued rise of ‘big box’ powerhouse Dan Murphy’s. The Woolworths’-owned chain accounted for nearly 30% of the total dollars—or $4.3 billion—spent by Australians on alcohol in 2016 (up from 25.4% in 2015). Woolworths’ two other alcohol retailers, Woolworths Liquor and BWS, saw their market share shrink, but Dan Murphy’s growth was robust enough to ensure that, between them, the three Woolworths’-owned retailers have a total dollar market share of just under 50% (49.2%/$7.1 billion).
A longer-term view reveals that Woolworths Liquor has been on the slide since at least 2012, while BWS’s recent decline comes after a period of relative stability. Dan Murphy’s has been up and down during this time, but has been increasing steadily since mid-2014.
Market share over time: supermarket liquor stores’ total alcohol retail share of dollars
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), January 2012-December 2016. Base: Australians 18+ who purchased packaged alcohol last 7 days. * NB: Woolworths Group = Woolworths Liquor, BWS and Dan Murphy’s; Coles Group = Liquorland, First Choice and Vintage Cellars.