Diageo GB has expanded its field sales team to service and provide more practical support to independent operators across the on and off trade. Diageo’s home market has more than doubled its dedicated independent on trade and convenience team, with the recruitment of over 100 new roles.
The expanded team will increase Diageo’s capacity to call on independent outlets, advising on optimising displays, in-store merchandising, and sharpening in-outlet brand execution for Diageo products, supporting stores as they look to drive sales in the alcohol category.
The first of the new hires were in place in the convenience channel from 1 February, with recruitment and deployment rolling out throughout March, April and May. The expanded field sales force will broaden the number of outlets Diageo can reach and shift the average frequency of visits from quarterly to monthly, supporting better, more consistent shopper experiences.
This expansion forms a key part of Diageo’s commitment to putting the independent operator "at the heart of what we do", and follows positive results since Diageo brought its Field & Technical team in-house in 2024, with on-trade sites receiving regular visits from the team seeing an increase in sales across the Diageo portfolio.
Alongside this expansion, further enhancements are being made to Diageo’s trade platform, Diageo One; the business’s platform which provides 24/7 virtual training, category guidance, and digital ordering tools to help customers leverage brands including Guinness, Smirnoff, and Captain Morgan.
"Independent free trade outlets are vital to our business and to their communities, and we’re confident that this investment will allow us to increase the level of support for the channel and help unlock further growth within the drinks category," said Ed Gallagher, Channel Director, Field & Technical at Diageo GB. "By putting more feet on the street, we can reach more outlets more often and help to co-create more brilliant experiences for consumers up and down the country.”