There is no sound basis here to call Endeavour Group, Coles or Woolworths the better investment. The businesses have different earnings mixes, and the available figures are not from matching reporting periods. Endeavour combines liquor retail with licensed hotels; Coles and Woolworths are food-led retailers with liquor operations. Compare their current results, balance sheets and share valuations on consistent terms before drawing a ranking.
How do the businesses differ?
Endeavour Group is primarily a liquor retailer and licensed-hotel operator. Coles and Woolworths have broad supermarket businesses as well as liquor operations. That distinction matters: grocery demand, liquor spending and hotel trading can move differently, and group totals alone can obscure those differences.
Endeavour Group
Endeavour says it operates Dan Murphy’s and BWS, more than 1,740 stores and 350 hotels, and has more than 5.6 million active My Dan’s members. These are company-reported descriptions in its corporate overview, not independent market-share measures. Its annual report separates Retail and Hotels, allowing investors to see how each part contributes to group results.
Coles Group
Coles is the most food-led business in this comparison, while also operating liquor stores. Its FY25 strategy described priorities around food and drink, digital omnichannel retail, and operational efficiency and network investment. Those priorities describe the company’s stated strategy, not proof that it will outperform competitors.
#1 Best Overall
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group’s reporting covers Australian Food, New Zealand Food, BIG W and other group activities. This comparison refers to the Australian-listed Woolworths Group, not South African company Woolworths Holdings Limited.
What do the latest figures show—and what can they be compared with?
The figures below provide context, not a like-for-like ranking: Endeavour’s operating figures are from FY25, while the Coles figures are FY26 highlights. Woolworths’ FY26 results were released on 26 August 2026, but a comparable set of figures is not stated here. Endeavour’s investor page lists FY26 results dated 24 August 2026; its FY26 figures should be used to update the FY25 view before making a current comparison.
Rank #2
- Ideal for Gifting
- Ideal for a bookworm
- Compact for travelling
| Company and reporting period | Reported figures | How to read them |
|---|---|---|
| Endeavour Group, FY25 (52 weeks) | Group sales: A$12.058 billion; Group EBIT: A$926 million; attributable NPAT: A$426 million. Retail sales: A$9.950 billion; Hotels sales: A$2.108 billion. (Endeavour Group FY25 annual report.) | FY24 had 53 weeks. For year-on-year segment trends, use the report’s normalised 52-week comparisons rather than treating raw totals as directly comparable. |
| Coles Group, FY26 highlights | Group sales revenue: A$45.6 billion; Group EBIT excluding significant items: A$2.3 billion; NPAT: A$1.1 billion. (Coles FY26 results highlights.) | The EBIT figure excludes significant items; consult the annual report for statutory reconciliation and segment detail. |
| Woolworths Group, FY26 | FY26 results dated 26 August 2026; comparable figures are not stated here. (Woolworths Group investor results index.) | Use the official FY26 report’s Australian Food, New Zealand Food, BIG W and Group results before making a three-company numerical comparison. |
What is happening inside Endeavour’s business?
Endeavour’s FY25 segments moved in different directions: on a normalised 52-week comparison, Retail sales declined 1.2% and Hotels sales increased 4.1%. The annual report attributed Retail pressure to subdued liquor spending and supply-chain disruption that reduced product availability during the Christmas peak. These are the company’s explanations for that year’s performance; they should not automatically be carried forward to later periods.
Endeavour also reported FY25 Retail online sales growth of 7.0%, with online sales equal to 8.7% of Retail sales. It reported A$80 million in One Endeavour costs. The company described One Endeavour as a program to build a standalone technology platform independent from Woolworths. The FY25 annual report’s comments and costs relate to that reporting year; later reporting is needed to establish the program’s current status and costs.
How should investors compare growth and digital performance?
Coles reported 26.4% Supermarkets eCommerce sales growth in its FY26 highlights. For context, Coles’ FY25 reporting showed Supermarkets eCommerce sales growth of 24.4% and normalised Liquor eCommerce sales growth of 7.2%. Those earlier channel figures use different categories and a different period from Coles’ FY26 supermarket figure.
Do not compare Coles’ Supermarkets eCommerce growth directly with Endeavour’s Retail online growth or online share. One is growth in supermarket eCommerce sales; the other is growth and penetration for Endeavour’s Retail segment. The businesses, denominators and reporting periods differ. Neither figure alone establishes profitability, fulfilment efficiency or customer loyalty.
Rank #4
For a useful current comparison, read each company’s segment disclosures together with total sales and earnings. Check whether growth is reported, normalised for a different number of trading weeks, or adjusted to exclude significant items. Then assess whether revenue growth translates into stronger margins and cash generation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What else belongs in an investment comparison?
Sales and headline earnings are only part of the case for a share. A retailer can grow revenue without improving the cash available to reduce debt, invest or pay dividends. Store and hotel networks can also involve substantial lease obligations, so compare the balance-sheet measures consistently rather than treating headline debt figures as directly interchangeable.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesBest Value
- It can be a gift option
- Comes with secure packaging
- Helpful in various ways
- Cash generation: Compare operating cash flow and free cash flow using each company’s stated definitions. Check whether working-capital movements or one-off items materially affect the period.
- Capital spending: Review spending on new stores, renewals, hotels, logistics and technology alongside management’s explanation of expected returns. A larger investment budget is not automatically a better use of capital.
- Debt and leases: Compare net debt and lease liabilities on a consistent basis, and consider interest costs and the capacity to meet obligations through a weaker trading period.
- Dividends: Check the declared dividend, payout relative to earnings and cash flow, and any relevant franking information. Dividend yield changes with the share price and is not guaranteed.
- Valuation: Use current share prices and comparable trailing or forecast measures, such as price-to-earnings or enterprise value to EBIT, while accounting for significant items and differences in business mix. No current comparable valuation inputs are stated here.
How can you make a fair three-company comparison?
- Start with the latest annual reports. Use FY26 reports for all three companies, including Endeavour’s FY26 report, rather than setting FY25 Endeavour results beside FY26 Coles results as if they cover the same period.
- Separate the business segments. Compare Endeavour Retail and Hotels with the most relevant disclosures from Coles and Woolworths. Keep liquor and food operations distinct where the reports allow it.
- Align the measures. Note fiscal-week differences, statutory versus adjusted earnings, and each company’s definitions of cash flow, net debt and lease liabilities.
- Check returns and resilience. Review cash generation, capital spending, balance-sheet obligations and dividends alongside sales and earnings trends.
- Refresh valuation inputs. Use share prices from the same date and calculate valuation measures on a consistent trailing or forecast basis. Record any adjustments rather than concealing differences.
These steps can support a more informed comparison, but they do not produce a universal answer: the result depends on the figures, valuation date and assumptions used.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
