Last week, the inaugural National ALM On-Premise Awards night took place in Sydney at the Ivy Sunroom. Designed as a way to recognise the suppliers that are continuing to show support for Australia’s on-premise trade, the National ALM On-Premise Awards comes at an increasingly challenging time for Australia’s hospitality industry, with recent analysis by both NIQ and CreditorWatch shining light on the challenges ahead.
“We were beyond thrilled to celebrate the achievements of our On-Premise field teams and supplier partners at our Inaugural National ALM On-Premise Awards night which took place in Sydney yesterday,” said an ALM spokesperson reflecting on the night.
“At ALM On-Premise, we pride ourselves on being the partner of choice for on premise venues across Australia. Last night, we honoured those who have excelled and contributed to our shared success.”
The winners of the National ALM On-Premise Awards 2024 are as follows:
People’s Award Supplier of the Year:
Lion
ALM On-Premise Supplier of the Year:
Accolade Wines
National On-Premise Brand Development Manager of the Year:
Jacqueline Hamilton
The title of National On-Premise Brand Development Manager of the Year was selected out of the following four regional On-Premise Brand Development Managers of the year:
Western/Central Region On-Premise Brand Development Manager of the Year: Carly Higgins
Southern Region On-Premise Brand Development Manager of the Year: Natasha Schwarz
Queensland On-Premise Brand Development Manager of the Year: Mel Lomas
Eastern Region On-Premise Brand Development Manager of the Year: Jacqueline Hamilton
ALM’s inaugural On-Premise Awards come at a time of growing business uncertainty for Australia’s venue operators, with one in 11 Australian hospitality venues now expected to fail over the next 12 months.
“The number of insolvencies we’re seeing at the moment is at a record high, and we’re starting to see a record high for defaults and payment times as well, so all of the sort of key indicators show that it is really tough out there for businesses,” CreditorWatch’s CEO Patrick Coghland recently told Drinks Trade.
“If you think about it, from a hospitality perspective, there’s only so much that you’ll pay for a beer, for a coffee, for a bowl of pasta, for a sandwich. Unfortunately in the hospitality industry, you can’t pass on the cost the consumer in the same way that a software business might be able to pass costs on to a commercial customer of theirs.
“Despite that, though, Australian businesses are really well set up to deal with it, so it’s not panic station. Yes, there’s a reduction in spend by both consumers and businesses. Yes, there’s an increase in inflation/interest rates/just cost in general, which is creating a margin squeeze. But we haven’t seen a huge deterioration right across the market, which is positive.”
To read the full Patrick Coghlan interview, click here.
Over past 12 months, ALM has gained 5% of liquor retail market share from competitors
On Friday last week, Metcash posted a trading update revealing its liquor division ALM to be in a strong position at present, having gained 5% of liquor retail market share from competitors over the past year.
According to Chairman Peter Birtles, “the current economic conditions remain challenging and continue to impact consumer confidence. As a result, we expect the shift in consumer behaviour to more value-conscious choices to remain in FY25.
“We continue to work closely with our suppliers and shoppers to maintain a value offering with a wide range of products at competitive prices, and we are encouraged by our retailers’ adaptability and ongoing ability to meet shoppers’ needs.”
Read more about ALM’s market position and strategy in this Drinks Trade article.
