Australia’s largest alcohol retailer is seeing a pickup in sales heading into the key holiday trading period.
Endeavour Group’s retail division got off to a soft start in 2025/26 but sales at BWS and Dan Murphy’s began picking up in September and that momentum continued in October, interim chief executive Kate Beattie told the company’s annual general meeting on Monday.
The company’s pub business had a better first quarter, with sales up 4.4 per cent to $592 million, which Ms Beattie credited to hotel renewals, new food and bar menus and new gaming machines at many of the company’s 354 licensed venues.
“I’m pleased to say Christmas bookings are already very strong and we are expecting over 40,000 guests to come together and enjoy their festive celebrations with us,” Ms Beattie said
Shareholders weren’t as happy, however, with a number asking questions about what the board was doing to revive Endeavour’s share price.
EDV shares were changing hands at $3.66 at midday on Monday, down 0.1 per cent from Friday and 12.5 per cent lower from where they were at the start of the year.
“I acknowledge this has been a challenging year,” chairman Duncan Makeig told shareholders.
Mr Makeig expressed optimism about the foundations for change that that had been put in place, including a renewed board and new leadership.
Former Virgin Australia, A2 Milk and Jetstar Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka is set to begin as Endeavour’s next chief executive on January 1, pending regulatory approval.
“Jayne’s credentials are outstanding,” Mr Makeig said.
Endeavour has also appointed several other new leaders, including recently hiring Supercheap Auto managing director Benjamin Ward as the next managing director of Dan Murphy’s and Woolworths executive Jeannette Fenske as managing director of BWS.
Both will start in January, as will former Qantas executive Catriona Larritt in the newly created role of chief customer officer.
The company has a group-wide strategic review underway that is set to conclude in the first half of 2026, with possible outcomes including spinning off Endeavour’s pub division and reducing costs.
A tally of proxy votes presented at the meeting suggested the renumeration report was set to pass narrowly, with 78 per cent support.
It needs 75 per cent for the company to avoid a “first strike” on executive pay.
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