Uber Buying Drizly Is the Tip of the Spear/Booze Business Comes of Tech Age!

As obvious as it is that Tom Brady is in the Super Bowl again; it is also obvious to this pundit that one of the booze delivery apps would be gobbled up by a ride hailing company.

How did we know? What makes us so smart? Nothing at all except listening to the tea leaves.

History always tells the future if you know where to look.

Why it makes sense:

• The delivery apps are really last mile logistics, and they need to have mobility to close the sales cycle.
• The three-tier system requires liquor stores and wine shops to be involved
• Uber has the infrastructure to manage a national network of delivery drivers.
• The move is three-tier compliant (historically an obstacle)

What’s Next:

• Reserve Bar, Minibar, Saucey could be next for Lyft
  • They are not the scale of Drizly but could be an undervalued asset
• The move is continuing to push the notion of more consumers shopping via phone and staying out of brick-and-mortar stores

This move today just highlights the need for a marketing and sales strategy for E Premise channel. As this writer has mentioned months ago, there are three 3-tier channels now.  

• On Premise – bars and restaurants
• Off Premise – liquor stores/ wine shops/ mass merchandisers
• E Premise – Reserve Bar and the like.

Your go to market strategy, any go to market strategy, needs to cover all three channels, or you will be left on the dock as the boat pulls away.

The adult beverage business is finally coming of age.