Liquor home delivery through BigBasket, Zomato, Swiggy may happen soon

Online delivery firms such as BigBasket, Zomato, Swiggy and Blinkit could soon supply alcohol right at your doorstep in select states of India.

Currently, West Bengal and Odisha allow home delivery of alcohol while New Delhi, Goa, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are exploring possibilities to let online platforms start off by delivering low-alcohol drinks such as beer, wine and liqueurs at homes, The Economic Times reported. Authorities are going through the various for-and-against possibilities before taking a decision 

The idea was largely prompted by the fact that online delivery model of business for alcohol has ensured a 20-30 per cent surge in liquor sales in the states of West Bengal and Odisha so far.

The move is aimed at catering to the increasingly burgeoning expat population, especially in the metros, an industry executive said, and the decision is also aimed at facilitating women and senior citizens who may not be comfortable going to a liquor shop to buy alcohol. Online delivery would also help keep track of details regarding age of a buyer, purchase limit and particulars of a transaction.

In the recent past, states such as Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Assam and Chhattisgarh allowed home delivery of liquor during Covid-19 lockdown, although with certain constraints.

Home delivery of alcohol is a fairly common trend all over the world, and global business records show that the system adds to the comfort level of customers and also boosts sales for the retailers.