10 minutes with … Coopers managing director Michael Shearer
It has been just over a year since Michael Shearer was named the first non-family boss of beloved SA brewer Coopers. InDaily asks him about the new role and how the brand is performing interstate.
It’s now been a year since you took the top job at Coopers. How have you found the role?
Having been General Manager for the previous six years definitely helped with the transition. It allowed me to come into the Managing Director role with a strong understanding of the entire business and with established relationships already in place at the brewery and externally.
There’s no doubt the industry faces challenges, but Coopers is outperforming the market. We are right in the midst of a significant period in the Brewery’s history. Our new $70 million hospitality and visitor centre is attracting visitors from all over the world, whisky is in the stock build phase, we’re growing beer sales, and the sixth generation of the Cooper family is now also in senior positions across the brewery.
It’s an exciting time to be leading this incredible business.
What surprised you about the new role?
My appointment was part of a well-thought-out succession plan, so to be honest, there haven’t been too many surprises in that regard.
However, the level of love there is for Coopers beer out in the community never ceases to amaze me. In this role, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with a range of suppliers, publicans, sponsorship partners and drinkers, and I’m constantly reminded of the genuine interest in our brand, history and of course our beer.
That’s more noticeable as the Australian beer market has become increasingly dominated by the two foreign-owned giants with Coopers left among those flying the flag for Aussie-made and owned brewers.
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What have you changed in the business?
There’s a good reason why Coopers has been successful and grown over 164 years, so I’m not someone to enact change for the sake of it. I see my role more about continuing along similar lines to what has served our company so well over all this time. Our focus has always been on delivering a high-quality, affordable and approachable beer for all occasions and that meets the varied requirements of our consumers.
While Coopers currently holds around six per cent of the national beer market, I like to say there’s 94 per cent of the market we can still target. We have launched new products and campaigns to help grow our market share.
Over the past year we have also developed even stronger alignment between our national sales and marketing functions and we’re already seeing the benefits of that. This has included some key internal promotions and external appointments to bring together a high-performance team to take us to the next level.
What’s been your proudest moment to date as Managing Director?
Announcing our sales results for FY25, which showed solid growth at a time when the national beer market contracted, was pleasing.
To have sold close to an additional two million litres of beer, equating to a 2.3 per cent rise on the previous year and in sharp contrast to a 0.9 per cent market contraction, was a strong vote of confidence in our people, our product and our direction.
On the new product front, the launch of Coopers Zero in August last year was a standout.
To have developed a new naturally brewed zero alcohol beer that tastes great is testament to our highly skilled and experienced brewing team.
How is the business tracking?
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We continue to grow beer sales and buck industry trends.
Last financial year we sold 80.6 million litres of beer and we’re currently on track to surpass that figure this year.
This is down to a range of factors from the quality of beer we’re brewing at Regency Park and the well-executed marketing and sales campaigns, to our strong industry relationships and customer engagement. We have 164 years of experience in making great beers, our team is passionate and committed to what they do, and we have a love for beer.
We’re often asked about the progress of our single malt whisky. While the product is still a few years away from being available for sale, we now have around 350 full barrels filled and cellared, and we’re adding to that number every month.
It’s a beloved brand in SA, but how is the interstate arm going for Coopers?
Seventy five per cent of our beer sales are now generated outside South Australia.
We had sales growth across all states and territories last year, with Queensland recording the strongest gains. This momentum has continued into this financial year. We remain in growth in all states and territories with significant ground being made in our on-premise business as well as total pack sales. To see growth for Coopers firmly back in hotels after the Covid experience is very comforting, particularly given the key role these venues play in their communities.
We’re seeing punters pull back from wine across the world – is a similar trend happening in the beer world?
Australia’s declining beer market reflects the trend of lower alcohol consumption being experienced across other parts of the world.
Our industry is responding by developing and promoting products aimed at evolving consumer needs. A good example of this is the rise of mid-strength beer. This is one of the growth sectors of the market and attracting more focus from brewers including us. Coopers Dry 3.5, as a mid strength lager (with flavour), has been a welcome addition to our extremely popular Mild Ale. Both feature prominently in our campaigns and sponsorships.
Coopers recently launched a new zero alcohol ale. How is that performing?
Coopers Zero has proved popular since it first hit the market last year. It appeals to more health-conscious drinkers seeking an alternative to full or mid-strength beer.
We included Coopers Zero in our beer offering for the first time this festival season at the Garden of Unearthly Delights and WOMAD, and it performed well.
We hold a very positive outlook for Coopers Zero, particularly as we increase its distribution and ranging across Australia. From the feedback we’ve received we know that when people get to taste it, they really enjoy the refreshing flavour. In true Coopers form, when we deliver a new product to the market, we make sure the flavour profile hits the mark.
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