Tipple uncorks national rollout

Heather McIlvaine

21st Mar 2018

Melbourne-based alcohol delivery service Tipple is set to scale nationwide, bringing its 30-minute delivery promise to millions more thirsty millennials for whom a trip to the local bottle shop is simply too inconvenient.

Launched in Melbourne in 2015, the online marketplace lets customers browse and buy wine, beer, spirits and snacks from local retail outlets.

When they make a purchase, Tipple’s proprietary technology platform sends orders directly to partner stores, algorithmically sorts them in to optimal delivery routes and automatically assigns pickup and delivery to the closest available driver.

Customers can track their order on the Tipple app.

The service currently delivers to nine ‘zones’ – approximately 262 suburbs – across Melbourne and will soon be available in Sydney.

Seven zones are due to open in Sydney in early April and a further 41 potential ‘hot spots’ have been earmarked across the country.

“Shoppers are pressed for time. They want things now and in the easiest way possible,” co-founder Ryan Barrington said, drawing a comparison to the rapid growth of food delivery services.

“Just as UberEats, Deliveroo and Menulog partner with restaurants, we too partner with bottle shops, so it’s a win win for all parties involved, ultimately boosting their bottom line,” he said, adding that the platform is designed to be easy for retailers to plug into their systems.

Ryan started Tipple with his brother Shane Barrington out of a single Cellarbrations liquor store in Windsor, servicing a delivery radius of approximately four kilometres.

That particular zone now averages sales of $30,000 per week, thanks to Tipple. Ryan said the delivery service has been able to unlock a new opportunity that local bottle shops couldn’t have tapped into themselves.

“Traditionally to capture an additional 10 per cent of sales in our liquor stores, takes a lot of hard work, hence we were absolutely thrilled when we increased our revenue by 50 per cent in one bottle shop,” he said.

The average sale on Tipple is $70, which Ryan said is double that of a bottle shop.

Ryan added that the software is raising eyebrows in other industries too, as large companies struggle to keep track of deliveries and are seeking new ways to effectively manage their fleets.

“Our system solves these big problems while also enabling on demand delivery to customers, which is fast becoming an expectation of customers in every industry,” he said.