Alcohol Delivery App Development: Building a Safe and Compliant On-Demand Platform

In a nutshell:

As we dive into this essential guide to alcohol delivery app development, let us provide you with a brief:

• Understand the need for developing an alcohol delivery app through global market trends in the alcohol drinks market.
• Know why you should invest in an alcohol delivery app.
• Learn about the government regulatory alcohol delivery apps in the USA.
• Get an insight into popular on-demand liquor delivery apps.
• Add all the features to your alcohol delivery app to make it stand out.
• Monetize your alcohol delivery app through various methods.
• Develop a tech stack for your alcohol delivery app.
• Know about the cost to develop an alcohol delivery app.

No doubt, the lockdown has made the internet more powerful than ever before. People who were forced to stay home found their comfort zone by ordering things online. There has been a drastic shift in consumer behavior and patterns, where they are now avoiding going to offline stores. But do you know that the online alcohol market has seen unprecedented growth in its sales during the COVID-19 era? The revenue from online sales of alcohol in the United States jumped 28 percent in 2021 to $14.95 billion U.S. dollars and is expected to grow by an additional four billion dollars by 2027.

Thousands of offline liquor stores are operating worldwide, but developing an online alcohol delivery app is the way to stand out in this cut-throat competition. This comprehensive guide will make you familiar with every aspect of alcohol delivery app development, including market trends, government regulatory features, tech stack, cost, and timeline. Let’s jump into the ocean of booze so that you can build the finest app for your alcohol delivery startup! 

Table of Contents

Market Insights

Let us look at some market trends that will provide you with a better understanding of developing an app for alcohol delivery.

According to the data provided by Statista:

• The global alcohol drinks market revenue is estimated to reach US $1,609 billion in 2023.
• It is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.42% from 2023 to 2027. 

Other data from Statista shows: 

• The alcohol market’s largest segment is the Beer segment, whose market revenue amounts to US $610.00 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.44% from 2023 to 2027.

All businesses have been on a roller coaster ride during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Alcohol Drinks Industry did not see a drop in sales; instead, the demand for alcohol, especially beer, and spirits, increased. With all this hype going on and the data must have clearly helped you to understand growth of the alcohol business, which has led to the emergence of alcohol delivery app development in today’s times. 

Why Invest in Alcohol Delivery App Development?

Who doesn’t want their whiskey and beer bottles to get home delivered in this tech-savvy world? You must have seen from the above stats that the liquor industry is growing at a fast-paced rate, and taking up an opportunity to invest in alcohol delivery app development will never leave you out of pocket. Let us tell you why?

Today, people are attracted to online alcohol ordering systems. They do not have to head out to alcohol shops, stand in long queues, and get that favorite bottle with all the struggles. Therefore, an app for alcohol delivery with easy-to-use features will motivate consumers to buy online, which will help maximize your profits. Mobile app for alcohol provides cashless transactions, real-time reporting, management of orders, and other facilities, making it easier for admin to work in a coordinated manner, thereby helping boost your sales. Some other reasons to invest in alcohol delivery app development are mentioned below.

• Upscaling your business: Every owner opens a business with the aim of expanding and growing in the future. Alcohol delivery app development will help increase your online presence in the market, gaining a genuine customer base even for your physical stores. App development will help you grow globally, driving your sales upward.
• Secure payment tracking: Online alcohol delivery apps have made it easier for businesses to manage customer transactions through multiple safe and secure payment options like UPI, net banking, wallet apps, credit cards, and debit cards. Now, you will not have to keep a record of all the transactions coming in manually. All online payments only take a few minutes to complete the transaction process, and it automatically gets transferred to your acquired bank account, which will help you keep a strong hold on your financials.
• Increased sales and profits: Mobile apps for alcohol delivery will provide your customers full comfort sitting at their homes and workplaces, encouraging them to visit and purchase alcohol from your app again and again. This will increase customer retention, thereby leading to more sales and profits.

Government Regulatory for Alcohol Delivery Business

After the COVID-19 pandemic and the alcohol market surge, it is evident that alcohol delivery apps are here to stay. After COVID-19, thirty-four states, including the District of Columbia, authorized on-demand alcohol delivery. Furthermore, Alaska allowed alcohol curbside pickup and delivery on a permanent basis. 

However, many other US government laws and regulations have been made keeping in mind all the safety measures. Some of them are mentioned below: 

• There are many states where you have to hold a permit or a license to carry your alcohol delivery services.
• Age verification and ID validation are crucial practices that must be followed by all alcohol delivery apps to comply with the legal drinking age of 21 years.
• Alcohol delivery hours may vary according to region and location.
• You might have to provide an alcohol sales report timely to act in accordance with government regulations. 

Government regulations play a significant role in alcohol delivery app development in the United States. By understanding and adhering to these regulations at federal, state, and local levels, you can build a safe and compliant on-demand alcohol delivery platform that meets the needs of both consumers and regulatory authorities.

Popular On-demand Alcohol Delivery Apps

Here are some of the top on-demand alcohol apps that have gained popularity in recent years: 

Drizly

The Drizly app is definitely your life savior. has definitely become a life savior for millions of consumers as it provides you with booze to your doorstep in just 60 minutes! With its headquarters in Boston, this startup provides delivery for beer, wine, and liquor via a mobile app. Today, Drizly has a network connection with retailers in almost 1400 cities, including New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, etc., that offers competitive pricing and personalized experience to all its customers. 

Minibar

Another Drizly alternative, the Minibar alcohol delivery app delivers liquor, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks with just a few taps on the mobile phone. Based in New York, this app is delivering to 50+ cities and shipping across 40 states. It delivers to guarantee within 1 hour with a minimum order amount of $25.

Swill

Swill connects the customers with local merchants and offers a variety of beer, wine, and liquor within 60 minutes of placing an order. This app is reliable and safe with transparent pricing, as it does not charge any extra fees for its services. Also, it supports local vendors and helps in boosting their sales. 

Saucey

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Saucey has the fastest delivery service, with no minimum orders and free deliveries in just 30 minutes. This app provides its customers with a wide range of products like chocolates, candies, and tobacco, besides serving beer, wine, and liquor. The Saucey app also has some amazing offers, like, a private bartender for an hour and other fun perks.

Boxed

Stock the alcohol for parties or get together with the wholesale app – Boxed. This app delivers customers different types of alcohol with everyday essentials like snacks, cups, groceries, and non-alcoholic beverages in bulk. Boxed provides free shipping on orders above $49 and delivers in California, New York, and Massachusetts currently. 

Must have features for alcohol delivery app

Easy sign-up / sign-in

The app should allow easy registration and sign-up through email, phone number, or password without hassle. Also, your alcohol delivery app should enable users to log in through social media credentials. This would avoid entering details every time they log in. 

Age verification

The most important feature that should be present in your alcohol delivery app is age verification. This feature will allow you to verify the age and other details of the users to ensure that they are eligible to buy alcohol according to rules and regulations pertaining to the alcohol industry. 

ID Validation

ID validation is another essential feature that should be present in your alcohol delivery app. This feature will enable users to scan and upload their documents while building their profile on the app. It will help in checking whether users are eligible to purchase liquor online. 

Product Catalog

The alcohol delivery app should provide a comprehensive product catalog that mentions its price, quantity, alcohol content, and other details so that the customers can make informed decisions beforehand. 

Multiple payment gateways

Your alcohol delivery app should provide multiple payment methods, such as debit/credit cards, mobile e-wallets, mobile banking, UPI, and cash on delivery for a convenient checkout process. The users will be able to use their preferred mode of payment effortlessly, increasing customer retention on your app. 

Real-time tracking

Your app should enable real-time tracking so that the users can track their orders and the status of the delivery. This will also help delivery agents to choose the right path to the user’s location for on-demand alcohol delivery. Thus, GPS-based alcohol delivery will keep your customers satisfied and updated.

Multilingual support

Your app should support different languages so that every person from different areas can use your app and order items. Multilingual support will give customers access to the alcohol delivery app from anywhere, thereby leading to a wider audience reach.

Heat Map View

The heat map view allows liquor delivery app owners to check the areas with high demand with respect to multiple orders, pickups, and drop-offs. This will help owners to assign delivery agents from the nearest hotspot so that it can be delivered as fast as possible. 

Push notifications

There should be a push notification feature in your alcohol delivery app that would keep the customers updated about various offers, sales, discounts, and other essential information. These constant reminders will never let you lose your customers and will increase customer retention. 

Offers/Discounts

Your app should provide various offers and discounts on liquor to its users. This will motivate them to buy more at a particular time due to its non-perishable nature. This will also give a boom to your sales.

Reports and Analytics

The admins should be provided with personalized dashboards so that they can analyze and check the reports in a real-time environment. You will be able to check revenue reports, daily or monthly sales, and other data essential for your business. Such data would help in checking the overall performance of your alcohol delivery app and provide useful insights for improvements.

CRM Integration

CRM will help you know your customers better, and you can track their tastes, preferences, likes, and dislikes. This can help merchants know their customers better and provide them with more products and services, increasing customer loyalty. 

Monetization Methods

Whenever you think of starting a business, the first thing that strikes your mind would be the profits and success you can pull off! Every entrepreneur dreams of achieving great heights in their business by boosting revenue and reaching target audiences all over the globe. Let us check out some methods to help you hit the jackpot!

Commission-based

The alcohol delivery app owner will receive a commission from the sellers or vendors on every sale they make on the liquor delivery platform. This is a widely used monetization technique that helps you earn extra income by receiving commissions

Ad-based

This is a common monetization method where you can earn extra by showing advertisements for other products and booze delivery services in your app. The app owners can earn extra money from the advertisement business, thereby boosting sales. 

Featured-based

Charge suppliers to get featured at the top of the search results or category listings. Most alcohol suppliers opt for this listing as such companies gain higher sales and a wider audience reach, which in turn helps increase the company’s overall revenue. 

E-commerce-based

Providing an e-commerce feature on your beverage delivery app is another monetization method that is evolving with time. The app owners can provide their users with wine glasses, beer mugs, chocolates, candies, and other booze-related products so they can purchase everything in one go. This will make your customers jump back into the app again and again. 

Choosing the Right Tech Stack for Your Alcohol Delivery App Development

You’ll need to choose the right tech stack to build a robust and reliable app. Your tech stack depends on factors like target audience, application goals, industry-specific requirements,  and third-party integrations.

Consider these technologies for your online liquor delivery app development:

Cost to develop an on-demand alcohol delivery app

The alcohol delivery app development cost depends on various factors that are mentioned below:

• App complexity and features
• Team type you are hiring – In-house, Outsource, or Freelance
• Geographical location
• Mobile app platforms and development approach
• Number of third-party integrations you want to use in your alcohol delivery app
• App maintenance and support after the launch
• App security and testing

Based on the factors mentioned above, an on-demand alcohol delivery app development may cost you between $15,000 – $30,000. However, this is just a rough figure – which may vary according to your business requirements. Therefore, you can contact a mobile app development company for further assistance.

APPWRK IT Solutions – Your Partner in Building a Safe and Compliant On-Demand Platform

You have by now known about the hype that the alcohol delivery platform has created among customers. Therefore, to skyrocket your sales in this industry, it is crucial to get in touch with an alcohol delivery app development company that can build your app with all the advanced features and a robust technology stack. You might be searching for such a company for yourself. Worry no more! APPWRK is here to keep pushing you forward in your alcohol delivery app development journey so that you can always keep your customers on cloud nine with exclusive features, monetization methods, and a customizable delivery app! 

APPWRK IT Solutions is a mobile app development company and a trusted partner in your long-term growth and progress journey. Our expert mobile app designers and developers have completed over 2000 projects that have helped businesses scale up development, design, and digital marketing proficiency. We will provide you with top-notch alcohol e-commerce solutions and build a safe and compliant app keeping in mind all the alcohol delivery regulations! 

Contact us to work with the most trusted partner in the alcohol delivery app development industry! 

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people work now, due to which all on-demand delivery apps have revolutionized major industries. Did you ever think that all the items you need, be it groceries, dairy products, meat, fresh fruits, bakery items, and even liquor, will be delivered to you in a few minutes? Today, these apps have made lives so much more favorable that you have to just make a few taps on your smartphone, and boom! Order delivered to your doorstep!

Alcohol delivery apps are another popular on-demand app that users love. People do not have to go to alcohol stores, check for their favorite brands in different corners, stand in long queues, and carry that heavy bag of bottles back home. The liquor store app has become a source for people’s favorite booze whether they want to opt for wine delivery, spirits delivery, or go for beer delivery, everything is available at their front door! So, what are you waiting for? Start your alcohol delivery app development journey today with APPWRK so you can laugh all the way to the bank!

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