Endeavour Group says sales at its 354 licensed venues were up 4.4 per cent to $592 million in the first quarter, thanks to 27 hotel renewals, new food and bar menus, new gaming machines and an overnight accommodation offering.
"I'm pleased to say Christmas bookings are already very strong and we are expecting over 40,000 guests to come together and enjoy their festive celebrations with us," interim chief executive Kate Beattie told the company's annual general meeting on Monday.
The improvements in guest experience were also reflected in higher customer satisfaction scores, she added.
Endeavour Group's retail division got off to a slow start in 2025/26, with sales down 1.4 per cent to $2.5 billion in the first quarter.
But they picked up in September, the last month of the quarter, and the momentum continued in October, Ms Beattie said, crediting targeted promotions during school holidays and the footy finals season.
Shareholders weren't as happy, however, with a number asking questions about what the board was doing to revive Endeavour's share price.
EDV shares were changing hands at $3.685 late on Monday afternoon, up 0.4 per cent from Friday, but 2.5 per cent lower from where they were at the start of the year.
"I acknowledge this has been a challenging year," chairman Duncan Makeig told shareholders.
Mr Makeig expressed optimism about the foundations for change that had been put in place, including a renewed board and new leadership.
Former Virgin Australia, A2 Milk and Jetstar Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka will begin as Endeavour's next chief executive on January 1, pending regulatory approval.
"Jayne's credentials are outstanding," Mr Makeig said.
Endeavour has also appointed several other new leaders, including recently hiring Supercheap Auto managing director Benjamin Ward as the next managing director of Dan Murphy's and Woolworths executive Jeannette Fenske as managing director of BWS.
Both will start in January, as will former Qantas executive Catriona Larritt in the newly created role of chief customer officer.
The company has a group-wide strategic review set to conclude in the first half of 2026, with possible outcomes including spinning off Endeavour's pub division and reducing costs.
Shareholders narrowly voted to adopt Endeavour Group's report on executive pay, which passed with 78.57 per cent support.
It needed 75 per cent for the company to avoid a "first strike", which if repeated in 2026 could have triggered a board spill.
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