Strategic Report - Group Strategy

Our ambition is to be the pre-eminent integrated brands and drinks distribution business serving the UK and Ireland drinks markets

  • Provide a range of local and core brands, premium, craft and third-party brands that is unrivalled.
  • Our distribution infrastructure provides market leading national scale, reach and efficiencies.
  • These brands and asset base are underpinned by our offer: dedicated and passionate people; enhanced customer service; market insight and value.
  • The Group has sustainability at its core – with the target of delivering to a better world.

Strategic Pillars

Invest and grow our portfolio of leading local, premium and craft beer and cider brands.


Medium Term strategic goals

  • Brand and product investment to build value of key brands over the long-term
  • Leverage key brand strength and market position to grow our portfolio of premium and craft brands
  • Successful brand development and launches to meet changes in consumer demand
  • Build on “partnership for equity" brand relationships to provide route to market access

Measurement

  • Cash generation and conversion
  • Revenue growth
  • Enhanced margins
  • Share growth and brand health scores

Strengthen our position as the No.1 drinks distribution platform in the UK and Ireland.


Medium term strategic goals

  • Continue the optimisation of network and wider system
  • Deliver unrivalled portfolio strength, value and service to the UK and Irish hospitality sectors
  • Commercialising the unrivalled data and insight on the hospitality sector

Measurement

  • Margin expansion in our distribution business

Capital allocation to enhance growth and shareholder returns.


Medium term strategic goals

  • Target leverage of less than 2.0x net debt / EBITDA
  • Inorganic opportunities that strengthen our brands and system
  • Invest in sustainability & technology
  • Return capital to Shareholders

Measurement

  • Net Debt/EBITDA
  • EPS growth
  • ROCE

Achievements during FY2022

Strategic priorities

Our core strategic objective is to deliver earnings growth.

Existing Businesses
  • Create an environment that ensures the health and safety of our colleagues. Further, establish a business culture that nurtures engaged, inspired and committed colleagues, investing in key capabilities for the future
  • Grow and strengthen our portfolio: growing cider share and building momentum in our premium beer portfolio as consumer preferences evolve
  • Leverage our scale and reach to drive operational efficiencies in our distribution infrastructure, optimising our capacity and ensure a market leading cost to serve
  • Drive better customer service through our C&C GB change programme with a simplified and integrated approach which will enhance customer experience and ultimately drive efficiencies into our back office
  • Enhance our offer: commercialising the data and insight that is available; continuing to develop our ecommerce offering; and building stronger partnerships with ‘equity for growth’ investments or complimentary agencies
Capital Allocation
  • Maintain the strong cash conversion characteristics of the business
  • Deleverage the balance sheet, targeting a medium-term target of less than 2.0x Net Debt/EBITDA
  • Invest in our brands; review inorganic opportunities and return excess capital to shareholders
Environmental, Social and Governance
  • Execute a credible sustainability strategy focussed on people and planet