Ubereats was introduced to the world in 2014, allowing users to order food from literally any restaurant of their choice. But there was still very limited options for ordering and delivering alcohol to your location.
Vincent Vievers began chatting with friends at a braai in Durban, South Africa, about the struggle of running out of alcohol yet not being able to drive to get more due to being over the limit. Wishing that they were able to order more drinks through an app and have it delivered with a simple click of a button, Vievers and his partners, Enrico Ferigolli and Martina Mondelli, got to work. With the partners having 10 years of marketing and business management experience combined, they began to create an app that delivers alcohol on demand.
They sought after investors who would be willing to put money into their company after a successful four month trial which started in Durban and has now stretched as far as Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria. They aren't worried about other competing apps, however, they are worried about the competition regarding the old way of doing business – in other words, people driving to the shops to buy booze.
They are less concerned about South Africans moving away from the disruptive movement of using technology to order drinks conveniently to be delivered. International competition comes from the US from apps such as Drizly and Saucey – which use a similar business model to deliver alcohol.
After downloading the app, it will ask you to confirm that you are 18 or older then it will request that you turn on your location settings. The app uses your location to find the closest bottle store near you. Alternatively, it does allow you to type in the address you would like your order to be delivered. The app will then bring up a list of alcohol you are able to order in categories such as wine, beer, mixers, spirits and rum. Then you are able to choose your desired brand, adding it to your cart then allowing you to check out, making a cashless payment off your debit or credit card for your order to be delivered within an hour. The price of your order is dependant on the prices of the alcohol stores near your location that have partnered with Bottles and an added delivery fee of R50.
So, this app is great for adults who want to share a bottle of wine, but it also makes it easier for underage children to get hold of alcohol. Vievers said that they have dealt with this issue by asking customers for a valid ID or drivers license before handing over their order. The app has also had issues with regards to a lack of specificity in location when delivering, which can make it difficult to deliver the order within an estate or complex. They are looking to add a feature that allows users to add a delivery note that specifies the exact address. Although the app does have a feature that allows users to track the exact progress on their order
Vievers claims that many breweries and wine farms have contacted the company with regards to a possible partnership with their product.
The app is available at no cost for download on the Apple and Android store.
