As the highly anticipated eleventh annual Australian Drinks Awards evening approaches, so too is the countdown to the prestigious 2023 Supplier of the Year announcement. Advantage Australia is currently tallying the results of its Engagement Program, which serves as the determining factor for the four Supplier Awards that will be revealed in front of over 370 guests on August 10 at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.
Advantage Australia has conducted the survey for the Drinks Association every year since 2009. The results provide the Drinks Association’s supplier members with Advantage Score ratings and qualitative retailer feedback from the off-trade, on-premise, wholesale and outlets channels.
The four awards in the Supplier category are: Supplier of the Year, Most Improved Supplier, Supply Chain Management and Category Management.
In addition to the Supplier Awards, the evening will celebrate achievements across the Brand and Contribution to Industry categories. A total of 48 coveted awards will be presented during the ceremony in recognition of the outstanding accomplishments and endeavours of the liquor industry over the past 12 months.
Advantage Australia’s Managing Director, Steve Andrews, said: “Both retailers and suppliers continue to recognise the value of strong collaborative relationships as a means to successfully navigate through the ongoing challenges and deliver on mutual objectives.”
Dave McLoughlin, General Manager, Advantage Australia, added: "As the industry continues to evolve, our data indicates that a more balanced approach is being employed to manage the needs of today while building the capability to deliver on the needs of tomorrow. Strong strategic alignment, collaboration and proactive communication remain central to successful partnerships. It will be exciting to see who will be recognised in 2023 as excelling in these areas."
Supplier of the Year
To be named the Supplier of the Year, companies must have the highest 'Advantage Score' result from the combined total retail/wholesale network across the four business engagement drivers: partnership, execution, reputation, and vision.
A high Advantage Score result means the supplier has a higher number of 4-star and 5-star ratings.
In 2022, Accolade Wines was named Supplier of the Year for the first time in the ceremony’s ten-year history. It also drew first place with Australian Vintage Limited for the 2022 Supply Chain Management Award.
Upon receiving the award last year, McLoughlin expressed his admiration for Accolade's exceptional performance, having transitioned from being the Most Improved Supplier of the Year in 2021 to securing the coveted Supplier of the Year title in 2022.
He said: “Retailers have seen Accolade’s customer-centric approach take off over the last few years, describing them as a partner who employs proactivity, collaboration and reliability in their approach to doing business.”
The 2023 Supplier of the Year Award is sponsored by Advantage Group, a dedicated sponsor of this accolade since the first awards ceremony 11 years ago.
“Advantage Group is proud to sponsor the 2023 Drinks Association Supplier of the Year Award. We strongly believe that suppliers are foundational to a retailer’s strategy. Investing in building trusting and collaborative supplier relationships is key to improving shopper engagement and generating positive commercial outcomes,” said Andrews.
Most Improved Supplier of the Year
The Most Improved Supplier award was introduced in 2018 to recognise suppliers who have successfully set and executed a plan of improvement. The winning company is commended by its retail partners for improving their professionalism and delivery across their commercial relationship.
Brown Family Wine Group won The Most Improved Supplier of the Year Award in 2022. The family business moved an impressive 12 positions up the scale to reach the tenth position in the Advantage Australia Engagement Program.
At the time, Andrews said that Brown Family Wine Group was recognised by its trading partners for building trust through rigorously doing what they said they would do.
“This reliability has made them easy to do business with, which is the highest priority for retailers in their supplier relationships as they have been navigating the difficulties of recent years,” he said.
The Most Improved Supplier of the Year Award for 2023 is sponsored by ALM, who has sponsored this accolade every year since its inception in 2018.
John Barakat, General Manager Merchandise & Operations, said: “ALM is thrilled to sponsor and present the 2023 Most Improved Supplier of the Year. As a business, our goal is to strengthen our partnerships with the suppliers and the independents we support and unlock new opportunities to accelerate growth together.”
“It’s great to shine a light on the finalists that have made significant strides in the way they work with their retailer partners,” said Barakat.
For those unable to attend the event, all the results from the Australian Drinks Awards will be published on the Drinks Association website on Friday, 11 August.
Advantage Australia is a Corporate Partner of the Drinks Association.
The Supplier of the Year Award is sponsored by Advantage Australia.
The Most Improved Supplier of the Year is sponsored by ALM.
