LiquorLand was established in 1981 as a franchise of independently owned liquor stores.[1] By 2002, under the ownership of DB Breweries, it had 72 stores.[3] By 2005, it had 80 stores.[4]
Foodstuffs purchased the franchise in 2009 for an undisclosed sum.[5]Woolworths Group had also attempted to purchase the chain.[6]
The Mill took over Birds Liquorsave in 2005, rebranding the stores as The Mill Liquorsave.[7][8] The stores were converted into LiquorLand stores, after Foodstuffs purchased The Mill in 2015.[9]
The Mill was established in New Plymouth in 1993.[10] It had 24 stores in 2004,[9] and had 31 stores by 2005.[7] It took over Birds Liquorsave in October 2005, rebranding the stores as The Mill Liquorsave.[7] It also introduced no-frills stores in March 2006.[8]
Independent Brewers, a Papakura-based alcohol company owned by Asahi Breweries,[11] purchased The Mill franchise in May 2013.[10] The franchise reached 35 stores; most were located in the North Island but none were located in Auckland.[12]
Independent Brewers sold The Mill to Foodstuffs for an undisclosed sum in October 2015,[13] The stores were converted into LiquorLand stores.[9] None of the stores were located in Auckland.
Foodstuffs established the Duffy & Finn's alcohol chain in 2006. The first outlet, a small liquor store, opened in Porirua in August. The second outlet, a $1 million 800m² large-format store, opened in Pukekohe in November.[14][15]
The chain was based on Australian liquor chain Dan Murphy's. At the time, Woolworths Group had been understood to be planning to expand the chain to New Zealand.[16]
The Duffy and Finn's store was phased out following Foodstuffs' purchase of LiquorLand in 2009.[5] The two stores were continuing to operate in 2011.[17][18] The brand was removed from the Foodstuffs website in the last three months of that year.[18][19]
The first Henry's store was opened in Queenstown in October 2006.[16]
Foodstuffs purchased nine Imperial Discount Liquor stores in Kaikōura, Rangiora and Christchurch, rebranding them as Henry's from June 2007.[16] The Imperial Discount Liquor franchise had been operating since 2004.[20]
From late 2022, Foodstuffs began to phase out the Henry's Beer, Wine & Spirit brand. All 19 stores were converted to LiquorLand with the last store rebranding at the end of February 2023.
During the initial COVID-19 lockdown in March and April 2020, Foodstuffs was required to close its liquor stores and shift to online sales.[21] When the stores were allowed to reopen, they began surveying customers on how the stores and website could be improved.[22]
In 2021, Foodstuffs reached an agreement with The Trusts, to allow some of its WestLiquor stores in West Auckland to be re-branded as LiquorLand.[23] Under the agreement, Foodstuffs can make recommendations on pricing.[24]
