Soon, you will be able to add cans of beer to your shopping cart while ordering for groceries online. If all goes well, several states across India may see the launch of liquor home delivery.
An Economic Times report says that states such as Delhi, Goa, Haryana, Kerala and Punjab are exploring the roadmap for launch of liquor home delivery via online food delivery sites such as Zomato, BigBasket and Swiggy. As part of the pilot project, low-content alcohol such as liqueurs, wine and beer will be offered on the quick commerce platforms.
Various stakeholders such as spirit makers and food delivery giants are being consulted on multiple aspects of this proposal. At present, only West Bengal and Odisha are the only two states that have allowed home delivery of alcohol.
Many believe that the online deliveries of liquor will not only help the companies to clock good numbers but also help in giving a better hassle-free experience to the consumers, especially women. According to the ET report, both Odisha and West Bengal witnessed a 30 per cent sale spike after the launch of home delivery of liquor.
The ET report, quoting The Beer Cafe’s chief executive Rahul Singh, said that the online delivery of liquor will ensure all mandatory eKYCs are adhered to. This will help in checking sales to underage persons via age verification. This will lead to responsible consumption of alcohol, Singh was quoted as saying.
However, this concept of home delivery of liquor is not new in India. Back in 2020, Zomato and Swiggy had started delivering alcohol in Tier-2, non-metro cities during covid lockdown to battle the losses.