LMG CONFERENCE
LMG CEO Gavin Saunders speaks to delegates at the opening business session
IRELAND GETS LUCKY AS THE LMG FAMILY DESCENDS ON DUBLIN SHANE T WILLIAMS REPORTS ON THE ANNUAL LIQUOR MARKETING GROUP CONFERENCE IN DUBLIN.
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ore than 230 delegates from the Liquor Marketing Group (LMG) gathered in Dublin last month for the group’s annual national conference. With a number of business sessions, visits to the Guinness Storehouse, Jameson Bow Street Distillery and a gala dinner at the Slane Castle, the conference was an opportunity for the LMG family to come together, learn, network and enjoy the city of Dublin. In his opening address LMG CEO Gavin Saunders announced that the theme for the 2018 conference was ‘shopper first’, which he said was a reflection on how LMG sees the market. Expanding on the ‘shopper first’ theme, Saunders said there’s a terminology floating around called new world retail, which has some negative connotations because it involves change. The speed of change in the market is daunting but putting the shopper and experiences first is where retailers need to be. “This is a continuation of change that’s been happening over many years and it’s our responsibility at LMG to adapt and meet shopper demand. It’s not a revolutionary change from a retail perspective; it’s more the evolution of the shopper,” said Saunders. The challenge is e-commerce and it’s happening right around the globe and it’s happening quicker and quicker in the Australian market. “While traditional bricks-and-mortar retail has been impacted by digital disruption from the likes of Amazon, Australian liquor retailing is not immune,” said Saunders. He said. “Examples like Dan Murphy’s has ‘click-and-collect’ and 7-Eleven’s recent investment into Tipple highlights
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Mick Tait, Clive Johnson, Ben O’Callaghan, Scott Hogan, Ben White & Marty Smith at the Jameson Distilery the emergence of technology disruption in liquor retailing. Convenience retailers have applied for the right to sell alcohol numerous times, we need to vigilantly review advancement of examples like Tipple as this may be an alternate method entering the market.” Saunders updated that LMG is providing its members the ability to meet the challenge and evolve with the shopper need through the launch of the Bottlemart/Sip’n Save e-commerce platform, including web ordering, app and integrated delivery solution in as little as one hour. Saunders said “e-commerce is complementary for bricks-and-mortar retailers and meets the needs of the shopper,” and that “initial results of the Brisbane trial were positive and LMG would be rolling out the e-commerce platform nationally”. He went on to say that the evolution of the shopper has evolved from buying commodities to goods to services and now to experiences. Saunders used the example of the coffee bean as a commodity, instant coffee as the good, a take away coffee as the service and Nespresso as
