Batemans Bay Dan Murphy’s is getting ready to celebrate its first anniversary on 29th March, and store manager Karen Henry has even more reason to rejoice as the store has been nominated for Large Format Liquor Store of the Year in the upcoming Retail Drinks Industry Awards.
“We have been nominated by the leadership team at Dan Murphy’s because our store is a market leader in sustainability and the store’s energy initiatives shows the importance of a green store in a regional community,” Batemans Bay Dan Murphy’s store manager Karen ‘Kaz’ Henry said.
Above: Luke Bridges, Karen 'Kaz' Henry and Sylvia Szabo
“We were also nominated because of our positive customer reviews, fast response to Covid-restrictions and our team’s collaboration, support and resonance with the local community.” she added.
The Bateman’s Bay Dan Murphy’s is one of the drinks retailer’s most energy efficient stores to date. The store has LED lighting throughout to help reduce energy consumption, and the fridges create less carbon dioxide, which is better for the environment.
Almost a quarter of the store’s power consumption is offset by solar power - it has 168 solar panels on its roof - and it has Dan Murphy’s first electrical car charging station,
“On average, one customer a day uses the car charging station, with weekends being the busiest time,” Ms Henry said.
Customers living in Canberra (postcode 2602) have been the most frequent users of the car charging station, but customers from as far away as Mackay and Hobart have used it since the store opened on March 29 last year.
“Batemans Bay and the beautiful Sapphire Coast attract many visitors every year, so it’s great to know that so many are choosing to travel in a sustainable way,” she said.
Dan Murphy’s rolled out contactless direct-to-boot service as a response to Covid-19 in April. Drinks orders carried straight to customers’ car boots may have started as an innovative way to implement social distancing, but it has become so popular that Dan Murphy’s is keeping the service - and Batemans Bay Dan Murphy’s now offers it as a permanent service.
All 28 team members employed in the Dan Murphy’s Batemans Bay are from the area, and Ms Henry added that they have been made to feel welcome,
“It’s been a challenging year for our Batemans Bay community with bushfire recovery and a global pandemic, so we have talked, cried and laughed with our customers. We are just amazed at how locals have welcomed us; we certainly feel part of the community,” she said,
To celebrate the anniversary, customers will be able to enjoy treats from local bakeries Amber’s Cafe and AJ’s Bakery. Customers who wish to take part are encouraged to register themselves in store ahead of the day.
“We are very much looking forward to marking this milestone in a Covid-safe way with our customers,” Ms Henry said.
Batemans Bay was the 16th store with solar power for Dan Murphy's when it opened last year, and since then, the drinks retailer has switched on another 20 stores to solar power.
“We are making our stores more sustainable, and energy use is a big part of our efforts. Approximately 15 percent of our stores across the country are now switched to solar,” said Dan Murphy’s National Renewal Operations Manager Tyson Holbery.
