Woolworths has further boosted its liquor arm Endeavour Drinks ahead of a potential demerger, by taking a majority stake in corporate drinks business, Shorty’s Liquor.

The liquor retailer specialises in online ordering and delivery to corporate offices and on-premise venues in Sydney. Through the new strategic partnership with founder David Short, Endeavour will help grow the business in Melbourne, Brisbane and other capital cities over the coming years.

“Developing new growth avenues is a key priority for Endeavour Drinks as we work to connect everyone with a drinks experience they’ll love,” Endeavour Drinks managing director Steve Donohue said.

“We have a proud track record partnering with innovative players in drinks having successfully integrated the likes of Dan Murphy’s, Cellarmasters and Jimmy Brings into our portfolio.”

Short will continue to lead the business within the Endeavour Group and said he’s thrilled to help fuel the next “wave of growth”.

“We’ll benefit greatly from tapping into Endeavour’s national supply chain, while also retaining our agility as a distinct business within the group,” Short said.

Last month, Woolworths shareholders voted in favour of a restructure combining Woolworths Group’s drinks and hospitality businesses to create Endeavour Group.

Woolworths is expected to combine Endeavour Group with Bruce Mathieson Group’s interests in ALH in February 2020 and later explore options to separate Endeavour Group from Woolworths.

This story originally appeared on sister site Inside FMCG.