One of the biggest challenges facing the beverage industry today, and during the critical festive and summer season, is adjusting business and operating models that support recovery during uncertain, fragmented times.
Geoff Parker, CEO of the Australian Beverages Council.
From the CEO of the Australian Beverages Council and Regional Director of the Asia Pacific International Council of Beverage Associations, Geoff Parker.
The challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic have led to seismic changes in the way consumers interact with FMCG sectors, and many of these changes will become part of a "new reality" going forward. However, for government and industry, a recovery blueprint is not only desirable but also important in showing a path to recovery.
In response to the Australian government's call for industrial strategies to drive the recovery, the Australian Beverages Council and KPMG brought together industry expertise to develop a number of key policy improvements in nine key areas to help businesses and the entire economy get back on their feet quickly . This is particularly important for the beverage industry, as part of the land lost at the beginning of 2020 has to be reclaimed during the important summer months.
"A Refreshing Recovery: A Draft Coronavirus Recovery For The Australian Beverage Industry" was recently released to provide growth-enhancing and job-friendly policy options to position the industry and the wider economy on strong foundations. The draft was launched with the assistance of Deputy Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management, Trevor Evans, and is part of the recovery and "new reality" phases of the industry's response to the pandemic.
The blueprint for recovery outlines a number of barriers to growth and jobs in the beverage industry (and, more broadly, the economy as a whole), but above all it contains four pragmatic policy recommendations that all governments should consider in economic and social recovery, including harmonization of Container Deposit Schemes (CDS), reform of the tax system, a simplified and mutually beneficial system of industry relations and a well-informed energy policy.
Read the full article in the November issue of Retail World here.
