Coles Liquor will commence the national alignment of Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor Market under the Liquorland brand following a successful trial.
Starting next month, the national roll out will see all Coles Liquor stores unified under three banners: Liquorland, Liquorland Cellars and Liquorland Warehouse.
The new store formats are hoped to simplify the customer offer across 984 stores by aligning product range, promotions, Flybuys loyalty program, and omnichannel service, all underpinned by Liquorland’s new Price Match Promise.
According to the retailer, a 16-week pilot program – trialled at 14 selected stores in South Australia, Victoria and Queensland – demonstrated increased brand awareness and customer engagement, repeat visit and overall greater shopping satisfaction. 
Coles Liquor CEO Michael Courtney says the announcement represents a significant milestone for the business by bringing together the best elements of all three brands across value, range and convenience.
“This is the biggest transformation in the history of Coles Liquor Group, and we believe it will have a meaningful impact on how we serve customers the drinks they want, when they want them, and how we partner with suppliers to deliver value,” he says.
“As we move towards a unified promotional strategy, we are strengthening our value proposition for customers with consistent and competitive pricing under one brand and one website. Customers will be able to benefit from the country’s most-loved rewards program, Flybuys, and access our Price Match Promise, which means if you see a better price at another retailer, we’ll match it.
“In terms of range, we are bringing a more tailored and relevant drink selection from the three banners under one roof. This means we will be unlocking the best-selling premium drops from Vintage Cellars and great value drinks from First Choice Liquor Market and making them more accessible to customers through Liquorland across the country.”
Successful trial
Coles Liquor points to a 16-week pilot program demonstrating increased brand awareness and customer engagement, repeat visit and overall greater shopping satisfaction. 
Since November, the retailer has converted 14 stores to Liquorland Cellars and Liquorland Warehouse, including nine stores in South Australia, three Vintage Cellars stores in Victoria and two First Choice Liquor Market stores in Queensland.
Mr Courtney says the results of the pilot program exceeded the retailer’s expectations across all measures.
“We were pleased to see brand awareness improve by 16% and found customers visited our stores more frequently, and 30% of customers who shopped at our pilot stores said they plan to shop with us more often compared to before the rebrand,” he says. 
“These results give us full confidence that uniting under the Liquorland brand is the way forward not just for us as a business but for our customers.”
The pilot marked the beginning of the next phase in Liquorland’s transformation journey, which over the past five years has seen more than 670 stores revamped to the new black and white format including a more spacious store layout, clearer in-store signage and a tailored range.
What’s next
Around 160 Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor Market stores will be transformed as part of the national roll out, expected to be completed by end of 2025.
The program will increase Liquorland’s footprint by 25%, with many of the stores located near or adjacent to a Coles supermarket.
