BWS Parap Tavern’s store manager Matthew Schier, 31, has been named Liquor Store Manager of the Year at the Retail Drinks Industry Awards 2021. The awards, which took place virtually on Wednesday afternoon, are the peak national awards for Australia’s retail liquor industry. 

“This is by far my biggest achievement. It was amazing to be nominated let alone win an award on a national level. It’s still sinking in - when I look back at the caliber of people who have won this award in previous years, it feels very humbling,” Matt said of the win.

“I’d like to thank my peers and managers at BWS, who have supported and helped me over the years,” he added. 

The awards are judged by a panel of leading industry experts. For the Liquor Store Manager of the Year awards, the panel evaluates the nominee’s leadership skills, commitment to continued development and overall success of the business. 

The panel recognised both the outstanding work that Matt has done as the store manager for BWS Parap Tavern, but also his ability to maintain a high level of responsible service and compliance in the most regulated jurisdiction in the country.

“Our BWS stores also go above and beyond regulations with several self-imposed restrictions and practices in place like certain products we won’t sell and our own MUP on specific products. As a manager, you need to ensure all these policies and restrictions are always followed,” he explained. 

During the Covid-lockdown, Matt was also able to help team members from sister business ALH hotels - which had to close - to find work in the 16 BWS stores in the NT.

“It was great to be able to supply work to six casual employees that otherwise would have had no work due to the venues closing. This involved significant training, consultation and open communication to ensure the transition was successful,” he said. 

“2020 was a challenging year in the industry, with things changing constantly and having to be very agile to keep up with constant safety and process changes, so it’s very rewarding to receive an award at the back of a year unlike no other,” he added. 

Matt said that he is also passionate about creating a great team. 

“I get the most fulfillment in my role by seeing my team and my peers succeed. This year I developed my team by having open conversations around their needs, giving them confidence to provide feedback, giving consistent feedback in return and recognising great behaviour, ideas and contribution,” he added. 

Matt has been the manager of Parap Tavern BWS for 18 months, and has been employed by BWS in the NT for almost 8 years. 

BWS Managing Director Scott Davidson said: “We are incredibly proud of Matt, and he always receives a lot of internal recognition for his achievements, so it’s wonderful to finally see him being celebrated for his achievements and at such a big, prestigious national awards show nonetheless!”

Shorty's Liquor - Online Liquor Retailer of the Year

In a year where e-commerce growth grew like never before, Endeavour Group’s Shorty’s Shorty's Liquor was named Online Liquor Retailer of the Year. David Shorty, MD of Shorty's said:

"What a year it's been! We are thrilled to have been awarded Online Liquor Retailer of the year by Retail Drinks Australia in 2021. We are so proud of our team and partners who have gone above and beyond to help our customers through COVID, including the launch of a world-first virtual gifting experience.

Huge congratulations to the other finalists and winners; it was great to hear the amazing things you are doing for the industry. This year Shorty's celebrates 20 incredible years in the business and this is a great reward for all the team's hard work in a special year for the business."

Dan Murphy's Alphington - Large Format Liquor Store

Dan Murphy’s Alphington received the accolade for Large Format Liquor Store in what was a closely contested field and awards category. The store had solar panels installed in 2019, and Dan Murphy's national support office for more than 100 team members is situated above the store. 

"We are excited that the Alphington store was named the country's best large format store, as this is a flagship store for Dan Murphy's. Alphington was the second Dan Murphy's store in the entire fleet, and Dan Murphy himself was based here!" Alphington Dan Murphy's store manager, Chris Brown said. 

"We are also the proof of concept-store for many initiatives and programs. For instance, Alphington was one of the first stores to roll out our popular direct-to-boot service last year, which  is now available in most of our stores nationally, and this was the first store that was part of our Wine Merchant program," he added.

Shane Tremble - Legacy Life Member

On his retirement from a long and proud career at Endeavour Group, Shane Tremble was recognised for his contribution to the industry at the awards with a lifetime membership.

Michael Waters said, “Over the short history of Retail Drinks, Shane Tremble has made an enormous contribution as a foundation Board Member and we are grateful for his outstanding service to the organisation. 

“We are pleased to formally acknowledge Shane as a Legacy Life Member of the former Liquor Stores Association of New South Wales (LSA NSW). 

“Shane, alongside several other Life Members of the former state and territory-based Liquor Stores Associations, have each demonstrated exceptional, loyal and outstanding service to the retail liquor industry.

“We are delighted to be able to recognise Shane’s contribution to the industry over the last four decades and now wish him all the best in his retirement.”

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