Chainstores Wielding Chainsaws "What You People Are Part Of Is The Beverage Industry ... "
27 MARCH 2011 FARMER'S VISION: 1984 WARNING IGNORED by PHILIP WHITE - WRITTEN FOR INDAILY ON 25 FEB 11 “I think we should dwell on the thought of what happens to this industry when we get chainstores taking over and applying chainsaw marketing techniques which cut down on the number of brands on the shelves.” T his was journalist, tea merchant and liquor store owner, Richard Farmer, addressing the Sydney Wine Press Club in Len Evans’ Bulletin Place restaurant in Sydney in June 1984. “If you think there’s a bit of a scurry to get your goods on the shelf now, I think you should start worrying about the scurry that’ll happen when Coles and Woolworths control a great portion of the Australian Wine Industry.” Farmer (left) had started with a terse reminder to the eager gathering, which bristled with boutique winery people. Boutiques were the new thing. “You forget that what you people are part of is the beverage industry,” he preached. “Your product competes in the m