March 2025 – South Africa’s largest independent spirits company, Edward Snell & Co, has been ranked the #1 Spirits Supplier in South Africa as voted for by retailers in the annual “Voice of Retailers” 2024 Advantage Report.
The recognition is part of the comprehensive 2024 Advantage “Voice of Retailers” Program in South Africa, which annually surveys national wholesale, retail, and distributor groups. The survey gathers insights from 22 retailers and includes feedback from industry professionals across Commercial Buying, Supply Chain, Ecommerce and Marketing. Among 20 leading liquor suppliers, Edward Snell & Co. achieved the highest score for ‘Overall Performance’ within the spirits category which rates engagement drivers such as ‘Partnership,’ ‘Execution,’ ‘Reputation,’ and ‘Vision,’ as part of assessment criteria.
Karin Krause Wessels, Managing Director at Edward Snell & Company, commented the following upon winning the award, “At Edward Snell, we believe in pursuing greatness for good – through focusing our efforts on leaving our industry, country and world better than what we found it. This acknowledgement is a testament of our efforts in creating meaningful partnerships along this journey and we are honoured and humbled to be acknowledged in this way. Thank you to our amazing partners and here’s to continuing to raise the bar together.”
In addition to being the top ranked Spirits Supplier, Edward Snell & Co. ranked third within the overall Liquor category which includes competitors from across the Beer, Wine and Spirits industries.
Dylan Piatti, Managing Director of Advantage Group Africa, commented on the achievement, “Edward Snell & Company’s recognition as the top spirits supplier in South Africa 2024, as voted by retail partners, is made even more remarkable when considering the competition in this category. A local company competing and succeeding against large multi-nationals requires consistency in the pursuit of excellence. While the premium spirits category had a tough year, facing supply chain challenges, and a constrained trading environment, Edward Snell & Co’s results are indicative of their focus on building strong, engaged partnerships and executing with excellence. When we think of the three pillars of culture, commerce and execution, the results show that Edward Snell & Co are consistently paying attention to, investing in and evolving their approach to partnerships, customer centricity, and doing better business together in this highly competitive industry.”
Insights from the highly competitive industry results, Edward Snell & Co. outperform against their peers
The 2024 Voice of South African Retailers report highlights how retailers rate working with their supplier partners. Advantage Group Africa Managing Director, Dylan Piatti, highlights the importance of relationship dynamics in trading environments. “Every leader we work with states that better business relationships lead to better commercial outcomes. Given this is so important, why not measure it and track progress overtime while benchmarking against your peers” says Piatti.
What retailers are saying about Edward Snell & Co.
“Our supplier relationships are key to our success, and Edward Snell makes a genuine effort to understand our business and align with our needs. Despite industry challenges, they remain engaged and proactive in supporting our partnership.” (National Retailer)
“Consistency and adaptability are essential in our industry, and we’ve found that Edward Snell understands both the market and our business, making them a reliable partner.” (Independent Retailer)
This feedback underscores the value of strong supplier-retailer relationships in a competitive market. Prioritising collaboration, adaptability, and consistency, Edward Snell continues to foster partnerships that drive long-term success.