After clocking in six months in his role as CEO of Super Liquor, Morgan McCann shares his vision for the brand and predictions for the liquor industry with The Shout NZ.
Prior to Super Liquor, what were your previous roles and experience in the liquor industry?
“My first exposure was on the Graduate Program at SKYCITY back in the mid-2000s where I got to run a concept bar and help open the Grand Hotel.
“I then spent five years at Lion (Lion Nathan back then), where I learnt the power of brands and the important role of the retail channel in connecting those brands with consumers.
“From there, I joined Foodstuffs right around the time of the Auckland/Wellington merger and had five different roles in 10 amazing years with the co-op – some directly overseeing the alcohol category, and then more general retail senior leadership roles.
“My final few years with Foodstuffs were spent leading the New World brand in the North Island through immense change and the COVID period, which I’m immensely proud of.”
How do you think the liquor industry has changed in that time?
“It’s still hugely dynamic which is an aspect I really enjoy, and the importance of strong brands and passionate people is still obvious.
“The industry has consolidated in recent years across multiple aspects – brand portfolios, retail banners and supply chain. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially as we’ve seen the regulatory landscape become more complex to navigate.
“From a retail perspective, one thing that continues to surprise me is how little we know about our customers – their preferences, shopping patterns and so forth – which, to my mind presents a big opportunity.”
How would you describe your style of leadership?
“I don’t necessarily think leadership style is relevant in itself, but what’s more relevant is how my leadership motivates and hopefully inspires others.
“I’m not a big fan of hierarchy, nor am I a fan of working from home. I guess both those pet peeves reflect that I’m a big fan of the power of the team.
“At Super Liquor we have a great support office team, Board and shareholders (franchisees) who have welcomed me so positively over the past six months. I’m loving the chance to lead in such a collaborative business.”
What are your short and long-term plans for Super Liquor?
“We’ve just wrapped up Christmas trading, which is always a milestone in the calendar. Being my first festive season at Super Liquor, I managed to get around 30-odd stores across Canterbury and Auckland in the four days leading up to Christmas Day.
“I really enjoy those trading days, seeing first-hand what resonated with customers, whether we had adequate stock weight, how our promotions were performing and generally what sales numbers we were achieving.
“Longer-term, we’ve just put the finishing touches on our ambitious three-year business plan, so the focus is now on sharing the details with our shareholders, getting their feedback, and understanding how to best operationalise it. That will happen throughout February and March – then my focus will be on leading delivery of the plan.
“I’m really excited by the aspirations we’ve set for ourselves and I’m looking forward to working with the whole team across the country to make them a reality.”
How will you ensure Super Liquor stays ahead of consumer trends and preferences?
“I always like to be associated with a brand that’s earning the right to ‘win and lead’ in the market and Super Liquor is no different. But I’m also really mindful and proud of our market positioning with our customers, and I’m really committed to it. We have nearly 200 stores nationwide focussed on being a highly accessible retail proposition, whether in metro areas or provincial New Zealand and covering all the different need states.
“A year or two ago, premiumisation was fuelling growth for retailers, but in the current climate that’s no longer the case. Now we need to balance a strong customer value proposition with our shareholders’ costs of doing business and have a focus on the growth objectives that will set Super Liquor up for future success.
“We’re also highly reliant on supplier partners delivering for today’s consumers with great product innovations and brands backed by their expertise, so that we can support them well across our store network. Over the past two to three years there has been some new product development (NPD) that has been exceptional for retail liquor!”
Do you have any specific sustainability initiatives or goals?
“We do, and they’re included in our three-year plan. By way of example, it staggers me how much packaging waste and cardboard is still generated across the supply chain and in product promotion collateral.
“There has been some exceptional work done in lifting the standard of retail execution in recent times, but I think we still have more scope here and this will certainly be a focus for us with our suppliers.”
How do you see the liquor industry evolving over the next few years?
“I think we’ll see a number of the current trends accelerate – average customer consumption will continue to fall, wellness trends will influence purchase behaviour, regulation and licence restrictions will continue to get tougher and communities will have higher expectations of liquor retailers (including on-premise venues).
“This will mean those whose value proposition centres on delivering the very best consumer experience will continue to perform well. That’s why, from what I’ve experienced over the past six months, I’m excited to lead Super Liquor.”
How to catch up with The Shout NZ…
Online, updated daily with its own unique content and breaking news.
Our weekly newsletter – free to your inbox! Subscribe here.
We are also on Facebook and Instagram!
