The 2023 Drinks Retailing Awards celebrated a range of dynamic supermarkets, convenience chains and regional stores, all of which are championing drinks and helping the off-trade thrive.
Supermarket of the Year winner, Marks & Spencer, had a highly successful year, securing two other awards for its outstanding range: Multiple Wine Retailer of the Year and Multiple RTD Retailer of the Year.
Turning to other drinks categories, Tesco was crowned Multiple Beer Retailer of the Year, while Asda snapped up the Multiple Cider Retailer of the Year award. Sainsbury’s then took home the Multiple Spirits Retailer of the Year award as the retailer continues to be a leading light in the home cocktail trend.
As the low/no sector continues to grow, Morrisons was announced as the Multiple Low & No Retailer of the Year for its commitment to the flourishing category. And with sustainability remaining high on the consumer agenda, Co-op was 2023’s Sustainable Drinks Retailer of the Year.
Elsewhere, Spar won the Convenience Chain of the Year award after making its expansive own-brand wine range vegan friendly and winning nearly 200 medals for its wines.
And finally, celebrating the team behind the scenes, the Drinks Buying Team of the Year was awarded to Waitrose.
Drinks Retailing editor Lucy Britner said: “It has been an interesting year for supermarkets, with the cost of living crisis affecting consumer behaviour. Marks & Spencer is a very worthy winner – proving it is dynamic across all categories. From its exceptional range of RTDs to its new value-led spirits proposition and its ever-evolving wine line up, this is a multiple retailer that has really championed every drinks category.”
Samantha Halliday, commercial director, added: “In an extremely competitive retailing landscape, every DRAs winner is worthy of this achievement. Congratulations to all of the supermarkets and retailers that have championed the off-trade and excelled within their specialist fields.”
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
Supermarket of the Year – Marks & Spencer
Multiple Wine Retailer of the Year – Marks & Spencer
Multiple RTD Retailer of the Year – Marks & Spencer
Multiple Beer Retailer of the Year – Tesco
Multiple Cider Retailer of the Year – Asda
Multiple Spirits Retailer of the Year – Sainsbury’s
Multiple Low & No Retailer of the Year – Morrisons
Sustainable Drinks Retailer of the Year – Co-op
Convenience Chain of the Year – Spar
Drinks Buying Team of the Year – Waitrose
Independent Drinks Retailer of the Year – Field & Fawcett
Independent Wine Retailer of the Year – Vineyards
Independent Beer & Cider Retailer of the Year – The Filling Station
Independent Spirits Retailer of the Year – Latitude Wine & Liquor Merchant
Newcomer of the Year – SugarBird Wines
Luxury Retailer of the Year – Hedonism Wines
Convenience Drinks Retailer of the Year – Costcutter Meopham
Hybrid Retailer of the Year – Diogenes the Dog
Regional Chain of the Year – Loki Wine
Online Excellence Award – Secret Bottle Shop
Specialist Online Drinks Retailer of the Year – Master of Malt
SPECIAL AWARD
Outstanding Contribution – The Whisky Exchange
