Reflecting on the IBA National Trade Workshop 2024

This article was first published in Drinks Trade Spring 2024

IBA welcomed a representation from over 700 stores and over 130 suppliers to their National Trade Workshop on the Gold Coast on 13 August 2024. 

Having released its results to the market in June 2024, the team focused on celebrating its superb results. IBA Tier 1 dollar like-for-like scan data since FY21 has outpaced the market, and from FY24 to April, IBA grew at 4.2 per cent compared to the market of 0.1 per. 

Independents are gaining share and are continuing to win with shoppers who want to shop local. Kylie Wallbridge, Liquor CEO, stated, “Once a year, we are able to get together with our retailers and suppliers and connect on our strategy, share our plans across categories, marketing, and operations, and learn from each other. For the first time this year, we hosted a retailer Q&A panel, and it was insightful to hear from retailers themselves on how they diversify their businesses, win with their local shoppers and manage the different regulatory requirements in each state.” 

Day two of the conference focused on IBA’s national retail strategy and plans with an emphasis on how retailers can win right now in their stores with their local shoppers. 

The teams spoke of trends impacting retail right now, such as the value-seeking shopper, premiumisation in categories, changing flavour preferences, the rise of Gen Z and media fragmentation, the well-being and conscious choice shopper, as well as the connected shopper. 

IBA know their shoppers, they over index in the younger shopper, they over index in immediate and same day consumption and their shoppers shop secondary displays. With optional retailer programs such as In-Store Excellence, a planogrammed gondola end which attracts incremental rebates, as well as insight driven cool room refreshes - their go to market plans reflect their shoppers.  

The team know there is no silver bullet to great retailing. But with strong promotional programs supporting different types of products and unlocking rebates across a suppliers’ full portfolio, market leading digital platforms to support the connect shopper and driving loyalty, as well as communications and media choices which resonate, they are driving shoppers in-store and online with a winning formula. 

At the centre of the day two was the announcement of the Platinum Program pilot–a game changer for independent retailing. The Platinum Program is an optional program for retailers bundling existing digital platforms, data exchange and retail execution excellence to reward retailers with an additional rebate. John Barakat, GM Merchandise and Operations shared, “Platinum Program has been built off the principle of rewarding great retailing. We are now more than ever shopper focused. We are building programs with solid foundations and bringing them together to create incremental growth, further efficiencies and we are more insights driven. We will raise the bar for execution standards, consistently deliver programs in-store to ensure we have a strong brand presence.” 

The event concluded with a gala dinner where Kylie shared, “Celebrating the ‘best of the best’ at the gala dinner from retailers to suppliers and our own internal teams was a highlight of the event. I would like to congratulate James Allen from Cellarbrations Baldivis in Western Australia for taking out National Retailer of the Year 2024 and National Store Manager of the Year.” 

The final celebration was IBA inducting it’s fourth inductee into the Hall of Fame – Scott Armstrong. Close to 700 people in the room celebrated Scott and his family’s contribution to the liquor industry. Scott bought his first pub in 2001 in Sydney but with a move to the Sunshine Coast. Scott now has a portfolio of bottle shops and pubs, has been a member of the IBA Queensland Committee since 2008 and is a huge advocate for the total IBA network. He is a valued member of the communities in which he operates and a cherished member of the IBA network. Congratulations, Scott, wife Kellie and family, on becoming the 2024 inductee to the Hall of Fame. 

IBA is looking forward to sharing more from the Trade Workshop with its retailers and suppliers in the coming weeks.