The drinks industry’s biggest night is just around the corner and with it comes one of the most anticipated announcements of the evening: the winner of the Supplier of the Year Award.
Presented as part of the Australian Drinks Awards on 17 July, these honours reflect the voice of the retail trade. Based on comprehensive benchmarking conducted by Advantage Group, the awards recognise suppliers who excel in areas like strategic alignment, executional consistency and partnership delivery.
Steve Andrews of Advantage Group says retailer expectations continue to evolve and so too does the definition of supplier excellence.
“Retailers increasingly reward suppliers who operate as cohesive organisations. As expectations rise, it’s not just about strong contacts but strategic alignment, cross-functional execution and organisational maturity.”
He adds that innovation and reliability are key traits of top-performing partners. “Retailers see innovation as a key driver of future success; when it’s strategic, relevant and well executed. Suppliers who co-create, move fast and support launches with strong activation are seen as future-ready. At the same time, suppliers who deliver reliably, communicate early, and resolve issues fast are highly valued. Executional excellence from warehouse to shelf builds confidence. In a dynamic market, getting the basics right powers partnerships.”
Supplier of the Year
The Supplier of the Year title is awarded to the supplier who leads the industry in both strategic and executional performance, earning the respect and trust of retail partners nationwide.
In 2024, Carlton & United Breweries took out the top honour for the second year running. Their ability to align strategy with execution, bring innovation to market quickly and operate seamlessly across teams made them stand out in a competitive field. Retailers also praised their transparency, responsiveness and strong activation in-store.
The Supplier of the Year Award is proudly sponsored by Advantage Group for the 13th year.
"True partnership is built on trust, alignment and shared ambition,” says Advantage Group Executive Vice Chair, John McLoughlin. “The Supplier of the Year Award honours those who consistently deliver on partnership, execution, reputation and forward-thinking leadership. Advantage Group is proud to celebrate the leaders setting the gold standard in supplier excellence."
Most Improved Supplier of the Year
The Most Improved Supplier of the Year Award celebrates progress. It shines a light on those suppliers who have taken on feedback, stepped up their performance and delivered measurable improvements across key areas of their retail relationships.
In 2024, Casella Family Brands was recognised for doing just that. The company showed marked improvements in communication, issue resolution and overall execution, strengthening trust with their retail partners. The result was a clear uplift across every metric of Advantage’s benchmarking program.
In 2025, this award is once again proudly sponsored by Australian Liquor Marketers. “ALM is proud to return as sponsor of the Most Improved Supplier of the Year Award in 2025,” says Katherine Johnstone, General Manager Northern Region at ALM. “This award celebrates those suppliers who have listened, adapted and delivered – strengthening their commercial relationships through clear planning and measurable improvements across all areas of execution.”
Who will rise to the top in 2025? All will be revealed on Thursday, 17 July at the 13th Australian Drinks Awards. With more than 30 awards presented on the night – including Supplier of the Year and Most Improved Supplier of the Year, Category Management & Supply Chain Management Awards – the stage is set for a night that honours industry excellence.