Woolworths bolsters liquor business with Endeavour Marketplace

“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,” Claire Smith, general manager Customer Connections, Endeavour Drinks, said to sister site Inside FMCG.

“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,” she said.

Woolworths said it designed Endeavour Marketplace from the ground up with simplicity, ease of navigation and customer focus in mind. The site will allow suppliers to offer niche and specialty products to customers.

Endeavour Marketplace runs on a dropshipping 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 6000 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,” Woolworths told Inside FMCG.

The Australian also reported that the supermarket giant’s chief executive 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 that 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.