BWS celebrates pride season by taking BWYASSS national

BWS has extended its popular BWYASSS stores after installing three stores in Sydney for last year’s Mardi Gras, with another seven stores across the country now loudly and proudly displaying the signs. 

“‘Yasss Queen’ has its origins in the LGBTQ+community and by incorporating the rainbow colours in our BWYASSS sign, we want to show our support and celebrate the diversity of the LGTBQ+ community in a loud and proud way,” said BWS Area Coach and Endeavour Group’s Proud at Endeavour co-chair Ash Martin.

The BWS St Kilda (VIC), BWS Newtown (NSW), BWS Brisbane New Farm (QLD), BWS Queens Tavern (WA), BWS Canberra City (ACT), BWS Hobart Brooker Highway (TAS) and BWS Adelaide City (SA) stores now have the signs.

The stores were chosen following recommendations from BWS team members as to locations where the community would most appreciate the new signs. 

Last year, BWS installed the signs at three of the retailer’s Sydney stores near the Sydney Mardi Gras precinct - BWS Paddington South Dowling Street, BWS Paddington Oxford street and BWS Darlinghurst.

“The feedback on the first BWYASSS signs in those three stores was incredible, with many in the LGTBQ+ community saying they wanted to see the signs at their local stores too, which is why we decided to expand it across the country,” Ash explained. 

BWS Managing Director Scott Davidson said that proactively building a safe and diverse culture was a focus for the drinks retailer. 

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are central to us; to be a great place where our customers and team members feel safe and included,” he said. 

BWS is also - together with Dan Murphy’s - exclusive retailers of Loud & Proud, a brand new drinks range with 100 percent of the profits* going to national charity Pride Foundation Australia, who will use the funds to support LGBTQIA+ specific programs to provide help for those dealing with substance abuse.

The Loud & Proud range offers six different drinks to choose from - a rosé, pinot grigio, grenache, brut cuvée, pale ale beer and watermelon flavoured seltzer.

As set out in its Sustainability Strategy, BWS parent company Endeavour Group has committed to by 2025, achieve Bronze Tier employer status and by 2030 achieve Gold Tier employer status, in the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Inclusion Awards.

*Endeavour Group will donate to the Pride Foundation an amount equal to the retail price that you pay minus the wholesale cost to us of sourcing the product, for each unit of product. Endeavour will absorb all other overhead costs associated with facilitating the sale of the goods to you.

ENDS

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