In a move that doubles down on its private label beer strategy, Coles Liquor has signed sponsorship agreements with Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria that will see its Tinnies brand poured at cricket matches in Queensland and Victoria.

The retailer recently announced a four-year partnership between Liquorland and Cricket Australia and, this week, that Tinnies has been named the Official Beer Partner of Cricket Victoria, the Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars for the next three years.

Under the Cricket Australia deal Liquorland will serve as an official partner across men’s and women’s international cricket and will see the Coles-brands Tinnies and Mr Finch cider poured at official Cricket Australia Events and Hospitality, as well as pourage rights in the public area at Brisbane’s Gabba cricket ground.

The Cricket Victoria deal sees Tinnies secure pourage rights at the CitiPower Centre at Junction Oval and cater for all of Cricket Victoria’s official events.

The move marks a significant ramping up of the retailer’s private-label beer strategy, as well as a sign that it is increasingly willing to compete directly with its suppliers, with Tinnies replacing CBCo as pourage rights holder at the grounds .

Last week Coles announced its first quarter results, noting the company’s Exclusive Liquor Brands – its private label business that directly competes with its suppliers – added 150 new lines to its portfolio.

Revenue from the brands grew faster than overall revenue, increasing to 22.1% of total sales revenue.

Earlier this year federal Nationals leader David Littleproud voiced concerns that the brewing industry may go the way of the dairy industry, where Coles led a price war.

His concerns were echoed by Coopers Brewery Managing Director Tim Cooper who earlier this year told a parliamentary inquiry that their increasing focus on private-label brands was worrying.

Dr Cooper’s evidence was a rare public voicing of the concerns that many brewers have raised with this publication privately, refusing to speak publicly for fear of retribution from major retailers that control up to sixty percent of the packaged beer market.

In a statement to Brews News, Coles Liquor General Manager Customer, Loyalty Mia Lloyd said that its private label business works with the best distillers, vintners and brewers to bring local products to local customers and we are very proud of that.

“We have over 170 local producers across the country in our Exclusive Liquor Brands portfolio and indeed we cannot create great customer offers without them.

“Outside of the portfolio, we work hard to ensure we hero our local and small producers in our stores.”