Will alcohol home delivery be a reality soon? Swiggy, Zomato, and Blinkit smell an opportunity

In today’s market, where convenience is the king, it's getting increasingly possible to get almost everything under the Sun home-delivered in urban India. But not the alcohol! Now, major players like Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, and BigBasket are eyeing this lucrative opportunity, ready to transform the way we enjoy our evenings (or feed our vices depending on how one takes it).

As regulations offer hopes of loosening with the rising consumer demand, the question on everyone's mind is: will alcohol home delivery become the new norm? As per the media reports, the quick commerce platforms might soon start delivering low-alcohol drinks like beer, wine, and liqueurs, at least in some parts of the country.

A report from the Economic Times reveals that states like New Delhi, Karnataka, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Kerala are thinking about trying out this service. Industry executives say that authorities are currently looking at the advantages and disadvantages of allowing alcohol deliveries.

State authorities collecting feedback

State authorities are reportedly collecting views from instant delivery platforms and spirit manufacturers for assessing the pros and cons of delivering low-alcohol liquors.

"This is to cater to a growing expat population, especially in larger cities, changing profiles of consumers who perceive moderate alcohol-content spirits as recreational drinking along with meals, and women and senior citizens who have flagged buying from traditional liquor vends and shop-front experiences as unpleasant," one of the executives told Economic Times.

According to the ET report, only Odisha and West Bengal allow home delivery of alcohol at the moment. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Assam also allowed it temporarily, and it was successful despite some restrictions and hurdles.

Enthusiasm grows across sectors

Retail industry executives say that online alcohol deliveries have increased sales by 20-30% in West Bengal and Odisha. Although the idea of online home delivery of liquor faced several challenges including political backlash and pressure from physical retail bodies.

For now Swiggy and Spencer’s retail delivers spirits in West Bengal. Dinker Vashisht, vice president of corporate affairs at Swiggy said “Online models ensure end-to-end transaction records, age verification and adhere to limits. Further, online tech stacks synchronise with regulatory and excise requirements, ensuring adherence to timings, dry days and zonal delivery guardrails”

Beer manufacturers like United Breweries and AB InBev are also interested in this concept, an industry executive told ET. “Beer blends more with grocery shopping, especially for consumers in big cities, and needs to be chilled, which limits its visibility in liquor vends.”

In 2020, AB InBev started Beerbox, a platform that listed places delivering alcohol within a 3-4 km range. This was after Maharashtra temporarily allowed home deliveries during the pandemic.

Overall, as regulations, consumer demand, and the capacity of online quick-commerce platforms align, the days of cancelling the evening plans to avoid stepping out to buy alcohol might soon be behind us.

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