A new app is being tested in Toronto and Ottawa this week to assist people in getting alcohol delivered directly to their homes. What are your thoughts?
Drinks to your door: Phone app launches alcohol delivery in Ontario
TORONTO — The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015 12:05PM EDT
A new smartphone app hopes to convince more Canadians to have their wine, beer and spirits delivered to their home.
As more people become accustomed to hailing cabs and ordering pizza with their smartphones, New York-based technology company Thirstie says it has found a corner of the home delivery business that is mostly untapped.
Thirstie is testing its alcohol-on-demand app in both Toronto and Ottawa, starting Tuesday. The app will be available on phones using the Android operating system first, while a version for Apple’s iPhone will be rolled out later this week.
The way Thirstie works is similar to most other delivery apps: users scroll through a selection of products, place the order on their phone and await delivery.
Thirstie will rely on partners — mainly the alcohol delivery companies that have been working in the community for years — to bring the bottles to your door. The company charges a delivery fee of around $10 and its hours of operation vary by city.
Thirstie CEO Devaraj Southworth said the app is filling a technological void where most alcohol delivery services have fallen short.
“Do one or two of them have an app? Yes. Is it necessarily where it should be or what we’ve developed? Not even close,” he said.
In addition to selling alcohol, Thirstie offers a variety of cocktail recipes designed to inspire new drinks and encourage shoppers to head to the virtual checkout with bigger orders.
“It’s giving relevant and timely tips on how to entertain at home.”
In Canada, most alcohol delivery companies don’t support web orders and still require customers to make a phone call.
Alternatives have been limited across most of the country, especially when it comes to last-minute shopping. One of the few exceptions is Quebec’s provincial liquor retailer, SAQ, which offers home deliveries through Canada Post, though shipping will take days.
Ontario’s LCBO hasn’t rolled out a website for home deliveries, but spokeswoman Christine Bujold said plans for a delivery option will be revealed “in the coming months” as part of a stronger focus on e-commerce.
In Toronto, food delivery service Grocery Gateway, which is owned by supermarket chain Longo’s, has a limited selection of wine and spirits on its website.
Thirstie says it plans a more widespread rollout across 27 Ontario cities before the end of January.