The Distributor Group Member Update – March / April 2026
Member Update 2026
March / April
This Month:
2026 All Stars Suppliers Announced
AACS Supplier of the Year –The Distributors did it again!
Accredited Distributors Celebrates 50 years in business – April 2026
At the bar with Josh Sherlock from Harcher Perth
I hope you all had an
March and April combined (Easter overlap) as I write this welcome note are still trending in the right direction.
Despite the cost-of-living crisis and geopolitical issue we are all facing, I hope you are doing well.
The Distributors Mid-Year Conference is not far away now and I look forward to catching up with the team members and principals attending and celebrating the groups 45th Birthday.
Kind regards,
George Tsapoutas | CEO
Join us on the beautiful Gold Coast for the 45th anniversary of The Distributors Mid-Year Conference, a prestigious three-day event held at JW Marriott Gold Coast from Tuesday, 26th May to Friday, 29th May 2026.
This conference promises to captivate and engage our members and customers, offering a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a dynamic program showcasing the latest industry insights, emerging trends, and groundbreaking product innovations.
For more detailed information about the event, please visit The Distributors Mid-Year Conference Website.
2026 Asia Pacific Loyalty Awards Best Overall Loyalty Program – Business
The Distributors has taken out Best Overall Loyalty Program – Business to Employee at the 2026 Asia Pacific Loyalty Awards Gala, held on the 19th March in Melbourne.
The win recognises The Distributors’ Advantage All Stars program, designed and delivered in partnership with Gratifii, Australia’s leading end-to-end loyalty and rewards provider.
The program’s success reflects a close working between The Distributors and Gratifii’s dedicated who worked hand-in-hand with the client to refine, and optimise the program to meet objectives, from monthly training resources dashboards to a custom suite of rewards ranging appliances and tech gadgets to VIP concert
Awards Business to Employee
working partnership dedicated service team, to design, continuously evolving commercial resources and personalised ranging from premium concert experiences.
Hear what Gratifii’s CEO had to say....
Iain Dunstan, CEO and Managing Director at Gratifii, said:
“This is a fantastic recognition for The Distributors and a win we are genuinely proud to have played a part in. What makes this program stand out is not any single element, it’s the depth of the partnership. Our service team has been embedded with The Distributors every step of the way, and that collaborative approach is what has driven such strong, sustained results. Congratulations to the entire Distributors team on a very well-deserved award.”
ONLINE EVENTS CALENDAR 2026
Meet the Team
Stacy’s Introduction of Asahi NAE Alex Murray
I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce our newest team member, Alex Murray.
Alex has recently joined us from New Zealand and will be based in NSW. From 1 June 2026, Alex will become the primary point of contact for all TDG members.
Please see the transition timeline below:
– I will continue to manage the group through to the May conference. In the meantime, please include Alex on all relevant emails so he can become familiar with the day-to-day operations within the distributor network.
– Following the conference, please direct all information and requests directly to Alex.
– The full team will be together at the May conference, and we are very much looking forward to catching up and meeting everyone face to face.
As previously communicated, Alex and I will work closely together to ensure our distributor network continues to receive the information and support required from Asahi. We look forward to seeing you all in May. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to either of us if you have any questions.
TOTAL ENERGY BY BRAND - MAT
Frucor Shr
UCC Official Australian Distributor of Takis
Celbar Snacks International, LLC (“Barcel”) is pleased to announce that effective September 26th 2025, UCC Australia Pty Ltd. has been appointed as distributor for the Takis brand across Australia.
This strategic partnership underscores our commitment to delivering our high-quality products to customers in Australia with the utmost efficiency and reliability.
We are confident that UCC Australia Pty Ltd. Shares our valued and dedication to excellence, ensuring that Takis products will be widely available and supported by exceptional service.
Please note that the product and its formula supplied to UCC Australia Pty Ltd. have been specifically
developed and adapted to comply with all applicable Australian regulations and standards.
We remain at your disposal in case you wish to discuss any additional information that may be useful to you at this point regarding the aforementioned.
A brief history on yourself –career, family, sports and hobbies:
I have worked in multiple roles starting as a merchandiser and working up through a variety of FMCG organisations. I am unfortunately an bombers supporter and my greatest hobby is cooking. I am the first person in my family born in Australia with my family coming from Moldova.
What do you best like about your work?
Everyday is a new challenge, its impossible to predict what will happen.
What is your favourite drink?
I am an avid Pepsi Max Vanilla Drinker.
Favourite food?
Petir Manta (Uighur Dumplings)
Favourite restaurant?
Kaynam Uyghur.
How do you best get away from it all and relax?
Cooking or nice drink of vodka (or both)
What is your proudest accomplishment to date?
Completing my MBA whilst working full time.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Motorcycle mechanics which is ironic because I have never been on one.
Who would you most like to be sitting next to on a long-haul flight, and why?
Anybody who wants to give me a lot of money for no work just for being a good flight friend.
If you could be someone else for a day, who would it be?
I’d actually be a cat owned a very old rich lonely lady – the level of pampering would be great.
Most embarrassing moment?
Providing the above answer to who I would be for the day.
Allan Vaksman National Account Manager
Consumer Spending Insight Category Performance
Figures recently released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have shown household spending across the country rose 5 per cent year-on-year in January 2026.
Food Throughout January
household spending in the food category rose0.1 per cent, seasonally adjusted. This followed a 0.5 per cent decline in December 2025.
Furnishing / Household Equipment
After experiencing a huge rise of 2.7 per cent, seasonally adjusted, throughout November 2025, consumer spending on furnishing and household equipment decreased for the second consecutive month in January, declining by 0.7 per cent seasonally adjusted.
Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
After increasing by 2.1 per cent in December 2025, Alcoholic beverages and tobacco spending dropped by 1.7 per cent, seasonally adjusted, in January.
Hotels, Cafes and Restaurants
After experiencing an increase in consumer spending over the festive season, spending in Hotels, cafes and restaurants declined by 0.6 per cent in January.
Miscellaneous Goods and Services
Consumer spending in the Miscellaneous goods and services category increased by 2.5 per cent, seasonally adjusted, throughout January. This follows a decline in spending in both November and December 2025.
Clothing and Footwear
After experiencing a drop in consumer spending in late 2025, Clothing and footwear spending increased by 0.3 per cent, seasonally adjusted, in January.
UCB Supplier of the Year
Another win at UCB Conference
Well done and congratulations to Narelle, Michelle and all the support team for this win. Thank you all for the part you play in assisting the group to win these awards.
AACS Supplier of the Year
The Distributors did it again!
The Distributors Celebrate 12th Consecutive Supplier of the Year Win at CONNECT 26.
The Australian convenience industry came together at ICC Sydney as the C&I Expo and AACS Connect Summit delivered three days of insight, innovation and celebration.
The C&I Expo, held 17–18 March, once again demonstrated why it remains the leading Petrol & Convenience trade event for more than 30 years. With over 130 exhibitors and the C&I Industry Symposium headlining the program, retailers explored new products, emerging trends and business-building opportunities.
Following the Expo, the CONNECT 26 Summit welcomed over 600 delegates
for a full day of thought leadership, including the highly anticipated 2025 State of Industry presentation. The program concluded with the AACS Awards Gala, attended by more than 700 industry members.
A highlight of the evening was the recognition of distributors, who proudly secured the Supplier of the Year award for the 12th consecutive year, underscoring their long-standing commitment to excellence, partnership and innovation in the convenience channel.
The co-located 2026 events delivered a streamlined, high-value experience for retailers and suppliers alike –bringing together the industry’s best insights, products and people in one place.
Accredited Distributors Celebrates 50 years in business – April 2026
The business started with the Booth’s family grocery store in Dandenong. Discovering a gap to call on retailers offering a range of confectionery, that business was soon renamed Terry and Vics.
From those humble beginnings, in April 2026 Accredited Distributors will celebrate 50 years in business. The business has now grown to include four branches across Victoria, Albury, Bendigo, Geelong and Dandenong. Collectively servicing over 8000 customers across the community and employing over 200 staff.
Accredited Distributors are now part of the Distributor Group, Australia’s leading national independent convenience wholesaler and distributing to petrol, convenience, corner stores, pharmacy, newsagents, schools and the route market. We specialise in the sales and distribution of beverages, confectionery, snackfoods and grocery lines.
The current business owners, Craig Bain & Stuart Hobbs, look forward to celebrating the business’s 50th year of operation. Our talk customers, Accredited together. for suppliers new priced For further our upcoming please forward our loyal at Trade You Show lkennett@accredited.com.au Click
Celebrates
annual Trade Show is the of the industry bringing customers, suppliers and Accredited Distributors staff together. This is an opportunity suppliers to showcase their products and offer hot priced deals to those attending. further information about upcoming Trade Show, please refer to our flyer. We look forward to seeing as many of loyal and special customers Trade Show 2026.
can also contact the Trade Show organiser, Lynette Kennett at lkennett@accredited.com.au
Click here to download Flyer.
Accredited Distributors Celebrates 50 years in business – April 2026 cont.
GEELONG
ALBURY BRANCH
GEELONG BRANCH
Member Piece
At the bar with Josh Sherlock from Harcher Perth
A brief history on yourself –career, family, sports and hobbies: My father Harvey bought into Western Confectionery when I was a kid and I grew up in the confectionery Industry. I went into software engineering for a few years and got to travel the world during the telecommunications boom in the early 2000’s, it was an exciting time in the software industry. I met my wife Sonya while I was living and working in London and eventually we moved back to Australia and started a family. We have two girls (17 & 19) and live a great life in Kalamunda in the Perth Hills.
What was your journey in becoming business owner?
When I returned to Australia I worked for a time in Harvey’s business then was offered a role at the Distributors National Office as IT Strategy & Development Manager. During this time I learnt a great deal about the industry, particularly how things look from a national and supplier
perspective, it was a significant learning experience. An opportunity came up to buy into The Distributors Perth business (now Harcher WA) and I threw my hat into the ring with other investors and eventually moved to Perth as Executive Director.
What do you best like about your work?
The industry has allowed me to have a lot of freedom and is always throwing up new challenges, there is never a dull moment.
A brief history of the business:
We acquired TD Perth in 2008, it was a very small enterprise (much smaller than the families Bathurst operation). Originally there were 6 Investors but as time went on the 3 non-family investors sold out and it was just the Sherlock family.
We had rapid growth in the early 2010’s with the addition of several major P&C accounts followed by several years of organic growth. We had to learn on our feet, especially around scaling the operation and staff.
COVID was a really rough patch, there was great uncertainty in the industry and we had to make contingency plans if business started to dry up. The scariest times by far. After COVID, from 2021 onwards, there has been a huge surge in demand and the business more than doubled in size. We grabbed the tiger by the tail and have been holding on tight!
How and when did you become a Distributor member:
TD Perth was already a member, and we inherited that status when we bought into the business.
Best event/trip (incentive/reward) attended as a member over the years and why:
The Olympics 2012 trip with Cadbury was sensational. One thing that has always stuck in my mind was in the Cadbury Hotel (yes, they had an entire hotel) the carpet was Cadbury purple, the staff were dressed in Cadbury purple and the pool table was covered in Cadbury purple. I don’t want to know how much all of that cost. Also, the Olympics were pretty good.
NOTE: Big shout out to Joe Alessi for being the best host we could have wanted. It’s the people that make the trip worthwhile.
At the bar with Josh Sherlock from Harcher Perth cont.
What is your favourite drink?
I love a great coffee; I’ve also been known to have a beer (or two…)
Favourite food?
That’s a tough one, I love French cuisine (Coq Au Vin/Riesling is a regular go to when I’m cooking). I also have a soft spot for anything spicey (A lot of Indian was eaten in London).
How do you best get away from it all and relax?
I am an avid reader and spend 2+ hours reading non-fiction each day. I find it relaxing and educational.
What is your proudest accomplishment to date?
My daughters Isabelle and Geneva, they are amazing young women.
If you could be someone else for a day who would it be?
Bob Ross: Relaxed, talented and man, what a great head of hair!
Australia’s Future –Targeted Independence from William Lombard
If Australia wants to reduce dependence on the rest of the world without damaging its economy, it needs to consider doing the following:
1. Rebuild strategic manufacturing (but not everything)
Trying to make everything locally would be extremely expensive and inefficient. The smarter move is to focus on critical sectors, like:
– Medical supplies (lessons from COVID)
– Defense and advanced materials
– Energy tech (batteries, hydrogen equipment)
– Food processing (not just exporting raw produce)
Australia already has strengths in mining and research—it needs to move up the value chain instead of just exporting raw lithium, iron ore, etc.
2. Invest heavily in skills and industry (not just resources)
A big constraint is workforce capability:
– Advanced manufacturing needs engineers, technicians, and trades Australia has underinvested in vocational training for decades Countries that are more self-reliant (like Germany or South Korea) didn’t get there by accident—they built tight links between education, industry, and government.
3. Diversify trade, not abandon it
Australia depends heavily on a few key partners (especially China). The goal shouldn’t be isolation – it should be risk spreading:
– Expand trade with India, Southeast Asia, and Europe
– Build redundancy in supply chains (multiple sources for key imports)
4. Build domestic capability in energy
Energy independence is one of the easiest wins:
– Australia has massive solar, wind, and mineral resources
– Scaling renewables + storage reduces reliance on imported fuels and stabilizes industry costs
This also supports local manufacturing: cheap, reliable energy is a huge advantage.
5. Support local industry intelligently (not blindly)
Throwing subsidies everywhere doesn’t work.
What does work:
– Targeted incentives for strategic industries
– Government procurement (buy Australian where it makes sense)
– Temporary protection for emerging sectors (not permanent “protectionism”)
6. Fix infrastructure and logistics
Australia’s size works against it:
– High transport costs
– Fragmented supply chains
Better rail, ports, and digital infrastructure make local production more viable.
7. Accept trade-offs
This is the uncomfortable part:
– More self-reliance = higher costs in the short term
– Some industries will never be competitive domestically
So the real goal isn’t “independence from everything”—it’s resilience where it counts
The Bottom Line
Australia doesn’t need to “decouple” from the world –it needs to:
• Choose key areas to control
• Add value to what it already produces
• Reduce single-point dependencies
If it tries to do everything locally, it’ll get poorer. If it does nothing, it stays vulnerable. The solution sits in the middle: targeted independence, not total self-sufficiency.
Business Snapshot from Scott Ensor
“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”
Top Line revenue for the group MAT to the end of March was up +5% over March LY, with growth in QLD up +8%, WA up 7%, and NSW/ACT up 6%.
Quote:
“If you can’t think of a word, say “I forget the English word for it”. That way people think you are bilingual instead of an idiot.”
Credit: Jack Handey
By category, growth in Biscuits was up +16%, Beverages up +9%, and Confectionery up +7%. Six of our Top 10 Suppliers by revenue were in growth with Suntory up +16% and Mars/Wrigley up +12%.
All of the Top 10 Accounts by revenue were in positive growth for the period versus the same period last year, and 7 of them were in double digit growth. Compass Group and NSG led the way up +19% and +18% respectively. Metro Petroleum & IVG/IVMOA were both up +16%.
The Distributors Group Sales
March 2025
March 2026
The Distributors Category Sales
Category Results
TD State Results
The Distributors State Results
Business Snapshot cont. from Scott Ensor Business Update
