Aussies have rated First Choice as the top brand in Canstar Blue’s latest liquor retailer ratings, scoring the brand five stars for checkout experience, customer service, store layout & presentation, deals & specials available, as well as overall satisfaction.
Our review compares liquor retailers on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about the compared brands before you go ahead with a purchase. Think of it as like asking hundreds of your closest mates which liquor retailer they think is best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 1,918 Australians for their feedback on the liquor retailer(s) they’ve purchased alcohol from and consumed in the last three months. Note: this includes online and in-store purchases.
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more detailed information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
First Choice was rated five stars for checkout experience, customer service, store layout & presentation, deals & specials available and overall satisfaction, with four stars for relative price and range of products.
With humble beginnings in 2005, First Choice Liquor Market is owned by the Coles Group, with the brand currently having over 100 locations around Australia. Offering a wide variety of wines, spirits, pre-mixes, beers and accessories such as cups and ice, First Choice also offers delivery options to a large amount of metro, regional and country areas, although some limitations apply, and non-serviceable areas are outlined on their website. You can also create an account to help speed through the checkout, while also racking up the Flybuys with your purchases.
Dan Murphy’s was rated five stars for range of products and store layout & presentation, with four stars for relative price, deals & specials available, customer service, checkout experience and overall satisfaction.
A flagship of the liquor retailer market, Dan Murphy’s, or sometimes simply known as ‘Dan’s’, has over 250 locations around Australia, and stocks beer, wine, spirits and more on its shelves. In addition to stocking drinks for you to choose, Dan Murphy’s also provides a number of recommendations via the ‘Dan’s Daily’ section of its website, outlining new drinks and brands to keep an eye out for, along with multiple subscription services if you’re keen to try something new. The ’My Dan’s’ membership will also open you up to discounts, along with the lowest price guarantee, with delivery and pick-up options also available for all customers.
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Cellarbrations was rated four stars for checkout experience, range of products, customer service, store layout & presentation and overall satisfaction, with three stars for deals & specials available, and relative price.
Operating as part of the Australian Liquor Marketers alongside stablemates such as IGA Liquor, Thirsty Camel and Merchants Liquor, Cellarbrations has over 500 stores across Australia, ensuring that you don’t go thirsty. Offering a variety of beers, wines, spirits, pre-mixes and drinking accessories and accompaniments, Cellarbrations additionally offers pick-up and delivery options for your drinks, with the option to also sign up for a membership for additional discounts, specials and offers.
Liquorland was rated four stars for deals & specials available, customer service, range of products, checkout experience and overall satisfaction, with three stars for relative price and store layout & presentation.
Another brand owned by the Coles Group, Liquorland has over 700 locations around Australia, with a store locator available online to help you find the closest option. Delivery and pick-up orders are also available, with Liquorland offering free shipping for orders over $100, but some restrictions apply. You can sign up for an account, with the ability to gain Flybuys points with purchases also available.
ALDI scored five stars for relative price, with four stars for deals & specials available and overall satisfaction, with three stars in all remaining categories, including store layout & presentation, customer service, range of products and checkout experience.
In addition to plenty of groceries, supermarket brand ALDI offers beer, cider, wine and spirits at select stores, with the occasional Special Buys Liquor Sale popping up for further discounts. However, ALDI stores in Queensland and South Australia don’t sell alcohol, and it’s best to check which stores in New South Wales, Victoria, Australia Capital Territory and Western Australia sell liquor, as it will vary from store to store.
BWS was rated three stars for relative price and store layout & presentation, but was rated four stars for deals & specials available, checkout experience, customer service, range of products and overall satisfaction.
An abbreviation for ‘Beer, Wine & Spirits’, BWS does what it says on the tin, offering a wide variety of liquors, including beer, wine, spirits and pre-mixes, with over 1,300 locations around Australia. BWS is currently owned by Endeavour Group, which has split off from Woolworths Group. BWS has a $10 flat fee on deliveries, with same day delivery also available, although this depends on your location of course, with shoppers able to gain Everyday Rewards points on purchases.
The Bottle-O was rated three stars across all ratings categories, including checkout experience, range of products, customer service, store layout & presentation, deals & specials, relative price and overall satisfaction.
Another brand operating under the Australian Liquor Marketers banner, The Bottle-O has over 700 locations available around Australia, with a store locator available online. Offering a wide variety of beers, wines, spirits, pre-mixes and extras, The Bottle-O additionally offers click & collect for online orders, or delivery options for those who don’t want to leave the house.
Thirsty Camel was rated three stars for range of products, store layout & presentation, deals & specials available, relative price and overall satisfaction, along with four stars for checkout experience and customer service.
Alongside The Bottle-O and Cellarbrations, Thirsty Camel is part of the Australian Liquor Marketers conglomerate, with over 350 locations around Australia, with a number of drive-through options also available. Stocking beer, wine, spirits and pre-mixes, Thirsty Camel additionally offers delivery options, along with the Hump Club, a membership offering discounts and exclusives.
Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are several more brands to check out before making a purchase decision.
For more information on consuming alcohol responsibly, refer to the government guidelines.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Site Editor, Dean Heckscher. He’s our resident expert on all things automotive, health & fitness, streaming and more. Dean is also one of Canstar Blue’s customer research report producers, helping to turn complicated subjects into easily-digestible information for our readers. He’s passionate about helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services.
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
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