The ACCC is seeking views from consumers and businesses on the Mornington Peninsula, about Endeavour Group Limited’s proposed acquisition of the Rye Hotel in Rye, Victoria.
Endeavour Group owns a large number of pubs and liquor stores throughout Australia, such as BWS and Dan Murphy’s, and manages over 330 licensed venues.
The Rye Hotel includes a hotel and adjoining independent drive-through liquor store operating under the Thirsty Camel brand. Endeavour Group operates one BWS-branded bottle shop near the Rye Hotel.
After the acquisition, Endeavour Group is proposing to continue to operate the hotel and the drive-through bottle shop on the existing Rye Hotel premises.
The ACCC is seeking views from interested parties on a range of issues including the distance consumers in the area would typically travel to visit liquor stores, the likely impact of the proposed acquisition on pricing or promotions between local stores, and the impact on local suppliers or retail wholesalers.
Feedback from the local community and businesses will help the ACCC in its decision about whether or not it should oppose the proposed acquisition.
The full list of the issues the ACCC are seeking feedback on is available in the ‘market inquiries letter’ at:
The ACCC invites submissions from interested parties and we encourage local consumers to complete the consumer survey by 20 June 2023. The survey can be found here:
More information is available on the ACCC’s Public Register:
Background
Endeavour is a major Australian alcoholic drinks retailer and hotel operator that operates a portfolio of brands including BWS, Dan Murphy’s, Jimmy Brings, Shorty’s Liquor and Langton’s. Endeavour also manages over 330 licensed hotels across Australia, through its subsidiary, ALH Hotels. Endeavour Group operates one liquor store, BWS Rye, near the Rye Hotel.
The Rye Hotel is located in the bayside town of Rye on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. It is currently owned by companies ultimately controlled by Peter Houghton. It includes on-premises food and beverage areas, including function rooms, live entertainment, TAB and gaming facilities, accommodation and a drive-through liquor store. The liquor store currently operates under the Thirsty Camel brand.
