VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS & COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES ★
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Monday, December 29, 2025
Endeavour Group Limited
EDV · ASX
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
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Overview
Endeavour Group Limited is an Australia-focused consumer business with two reported operating segments: Retail (Dan Murphy's, BWS and Pinnacle Drinks) and Hotels (ALH Hotels venue network). The Retail moat is anchored in category-leading brands, a large national store footprint, and omnichannel convenience supported by sizable digital and loyalty engagement. The Hotels moat is primarily scale/footprint plus regulated licensing (liquor and gaming where applicable), complemented by loyalty (pub+) and portfolio-wide operating and renewal programs. Key pressures on moat durability include intense price competition, supply chain disruptions, and regulatory change affecting alcohol retailing and gaming.
Primary segment
Retail
Market structure
Oligopoly
Market share
—
HHI: —
Coverage
2 segments · 7 tags
Updated 2025-12-28
Segments
Retail
Australian off-premise liquor retail (stores + online)
Revenue
82.5%
Structure
Oligopoly
Pricing
weak
Share
—
Peers
Hotels
Australian pub/hotel venues (food & bars, gaming, accommodation, entertainment)
Revenue
17.5%
Structure
Competitive
Pricing
moderate
Share
—
Peers
—
Moat Claims
Retail
Australian off-premise liquor retail (stores + online)
Revenue share computed from FY25 'F25 Financial Results' table: Retail Sales $9,950m of total Sales $12,058m. Operating profit share computed as Retail Operating EBIT $624m divided by (Retail $624m + Hotels $463m), excluding 'Other EBIT'.
Brand Trust
Demand
Brand Trust
Strength: 4/5 · Durability: durable · Confidence: 4/5 · 2 evidence
Dan Murphy's and BWS are positioned as category-leading brands on value/range/service and convenience, supporting customer preference and repeat purchasing even in a price-competitive category.
Erosion risks
- Aggressive discounting and promotions compress differentiation
- Regulatory tightening on alcohol pricing/marketing
- Brand damage from service or compliance failures
Leading indicators
- Net Promoter Score (Dan Murphy's / BWS)
- Comparable store sales vs category
- Price perception / value metrics
Counterarguments
- Liquor retail can behave like a commodity; customers can shop primarily on price and proximity
- Competitors can match value messaging and copy store formats over time
Distribution Control
Supply
Distribution Control
Strength: 4/5 · Durability: medium · Confidence: 4/5 · 3 evidence
A large national store footprint plus multiple fulfilment options (pick-up, drive-thru, immediate delivery) and high digital traffic create convenience and reach that smaller operators struggle to match.
Erosion risks
- E-commerce marketplaces/aggregators reduce retailer differentiation
- Store network becomes a fixed-cost burden if volumes weaken
- Supply chain disruptions reduce in-stock reliability
Leading indicators
- Online sales mix and growth rate
- On-time/in-full fulfilment and delivery times
- Store footprint changes (open/close/renewals)
Counterarguments
- National competitors can build comparable omnichannel fulfilment (delivery, click-and-collect)
- Convenience advantage can narrow if third-party delivery becomes ubiquitous
Habit Default
Demand
Habit Default
Strength: 3/5 · Durability: medium · Confidence: 4/5 · 3 evidence
Large loyalty memberships and app-based offers encourage repeat purchase behavior and enable targeted promotions/personalisation.
Erosion risks
- Regulatory limits on alcohol-related loyalty incentives
- Privacy restrictions reduce targeting/personalisation
- Competing loyalty programs reduce distinctiveness
Leading indicators
- Active members and engagement rates
- Share of sales tied to loyalty accounts
- Repeat-purchase frequency
Counterarguments
- Customers can multi-home across retailers; loyalty may not create meaningful switching costs
- Promotional offers can train customers to be deal-seeking, weakening long-term margins
Preferential Input Access
Supply
Preferential Input Access
Strength: 3/5 · Durability: medium · Confidence: 4/5 · 1 evidence
Owned and exclusive drinks brands (Pinnacle Drinks) provide differentiated assortment and can support gross margin versus pure third-party retail.
Erosion risks
- Quality or brand perception issues in owned labels
- Supplier retaliation or reduced access to premium third-party brands
- Consumer trends shift away from categories where owned labels are strongest
Leading indicators
- Owned/exclusive brand sales mix
- Retail gross margin trend
- Repeat rates for owned/exclusive products
Counterarguments
- Private label/exclusives can be replicated by other scaled retailers
- Traffic-driving premium brands can limit retailer leverage
Hotels
Australian pub/hotel venues (food & bars, gaming, accommodation, entertainment)
Revenue share computed from FY25 'F25 Financial Results' table: Hotels Sales $2,108m of total Sales $12,058m. Operating profit share computed as Hotels Operating EBIT $463m divided by (Retail $624m + Hotels $463m), excluding 'Other EBIT'.
Physical Network Density
Supply
Physical Network Density
Strength: 4/5 · Durability: medium · Confidence: 4/5 · 1 evidence
A large venue portfolio provides scale in operations, marketing and capex rollouts; many venues are local assets in their catchments.
Erosion risks
- Venue economics pressured by wage/energy inflation
- Shifts in socialising patterns and discretionary spend
- Lease renewal risk and rising capex requirements
Leading indicators
- Comparable hotel sales growth
- Venue renewals and acquisitions/disposals
- Accommodation rooms added and occupancy metrics
Counterarguments
- Hospitality is locally competitive and fragmented; scale does not guarantee superior returns at each venue
- Guests choose venues based on location and experience more than corporate ownership
Concession License
Legal
Concession License
Strength: 3/5 · Durability: medium · Confidence: 4/5 · 3 evidence
Hotels rely on regulated liquor licensing and, in some jurisdictions, regulated gaming permissions/entitlements. These legal requirements raise barriers to entry and can constrain supply locally.
Erosion risks
- Regulatory changes reduce gaming economics or operating hours
- Higher enforcement and compliance burdens
- Policy changes that expand licence/entitlement supply in some regions
Leading indicators
- Legislative/regulatory changes by state
- Compliance incidents, fines, or licence conditions
- Gaming entitlement/machine limit changes
Counterarguments
- Liquor licences are widespread; licensing alone may not confer strong pricing power
- Gaming policy can change quickly, so the advantage can weaken via regulation
Habit Default
Demand
Habit Default
Strength: 3/5 · Durability: medium · Confidence: 4/5 · 2 evidence
pub+ loyalty adoption supports repeat visitation and higher share-of-wallet for food and beverage occasions across the venue network.
Erosion risks
- Customer fatigue with loyalty programs
- Competitive matching by other venue groups
- Regulation that restricts promotions or data use
Leading indicators
- Active pub+ users
- Share of food & bar transactions attributed to pub+ members
- Repeat visitation frequency
Counterarguments
- Venue choice is often driven by convenience/location; loyalty may be secondary
- Patrons can easily switch venues for events, pricing, or social reasons
Operational Excellence
Supply
Operational Excellence
Strength: 3/5 · Durability: medium · Confidence: 3/5 · 2 evidence
Portfolio-wide operating initiatives and capital deployment (menu optimisation, venue renewals, EGM investments) can lift venue-level performance versus smaller independents.
Erosion risks
- Capex fails to generate expected returns
- Labour constraints degrade service quality
- Competitors copy menu, entertainment and venue upgrade playbooks
Leading indicators
- Hotels Operating EBIT margin
- Post-renewal ROI outcomes vs targets
- Guest satisfaction and repeat rates
Counterarguments
- Operational improvements can be imitated; gains may be transient
- Gaming-driven economics can dominate outcomes more than operational execution
Evidence
Dan Murphy's is Australia's #1 large format drinks retailer with 278 stores, plus four The Cellar stores, nationally.
Direct positioning statement supporting demand-side brand strength for Dan Murphy's.
BWS is Australia's largest and most convenient drinks retailer with 1,444 stores in its portfolio.
Direct positioning statement supporting convenience-led brand strength for BWS.
Our Retail segment operates one of the largest retail networks in Australia with 1,726 stores nationwide.
Store footprint scale underpins national reach and store-led fulfilment.
473 Retail stores providing Direct to Boot pick-up or Drive Thru.
Shows scaled pick-up/drive-thru convenience options, which reinforce distribution advantage.
1,354 Retail stores offering immediate delivery.
Supports last-mile capability across a large footprint.
Showing 5 of 17 sources.
Risks & Indicators
Erosion risks
- Aggressive discounting and promotions compress differentiation
- Regulatory tightening on alcohol pricing/marketing
- Brand damage from service or compliance failures
- E-commerce marketplaces/aggregators reduce retailer differentiation
- Store network becomes a fixed-cost burden if volumes weaken
- Supply chain disruptions reduce in-stock reliability
Leading indicators
- Net Promoter Score (Dan Murphy's / BWS)
- Comparable store sales vs category
- Price perception / value metrics
- Online sales mix and growth rate
- On-time/in-full fulfilment and delivery times
- Store footprint changes (open/close/renewals)
Curation & Accuracy
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