How to Make Your Own Alcohol Delivery App

The world is just a click away nowadays. From cabs to food everything is delivered to your doorstep if you have the right app for it. The development of on-demand delivery apps is already on a surge and the ongoing pandemic has only added fuel to the fire. 

We are facing a major lifestyle change that has affected our day-to-day life. People are afraid to venture outdoors and we are constantly in between lockdowns. For your business, now is the right time to invest in such apps. While there are many such apps in the market for essential items like food, groceries, etc, the alcohol sector is largely untapped.

On average, the United States has an annual consumption of 8.93 liters of pure alcohol per person. The US ranks 25th on the list of countries with the most alcohol consumption. Combine that with the high revenue-generating capacity of the on-demand delivery apps and entrepreneurs are sitting on a goldmine of opportunity. Hang in there while Idea Ushers experts explain to you the nitty-gritty on how to make your own alcohol delivery app. 

What are on-demand delivery apps? 

The on-demand delivery apps are best described as online marketplaces that help users purchase products/services. These apps are developed in order to cater to several providers offering faster delivery for customers to get almost anything they need at a convenient location.

Like it or not on-demand delivery apps are here to stay. Banking on their scalability, cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and mobility they are shaking up the consumer market.

Scope of alcohol delivery apps

The pandemic taught us more than ever the pangs of running out of booze while being confined to our home and not having the option of running to our nearest liquor store. In times like these, the option of having alcohol delivered to our doorstep feels like a necessity rather than a luxury. No wonder there has been a surge in the development of alcohol delivery apps.

How Covid-19 changed the liquor (alcohol delivery software) business?

The world as we know it changed forever in 2020. The power of the internet became more evident than ever and the alcohol industry did not go unscathed either. The beverage market, one of the most thriving contributors to the US economy slumped with the closure of pubs, bars, etc. And alcohol consumption was down by 14% in April 2020 according to Accenture’s COVID-19 consumer research. In the meantime, the online sales of liquor skyrocketed, up an astounding 339%. 

According to reports by New York-based survey firm, Nielsen, alcohol is the fastest-growing e-commerce department among consumer-packaged goods and it continues to show healthy growth. 

Who are the big players in the alcohol app market?

The millennial mantra of convenience over cash means the alcohol-delivery space is booming and the options are only increasing day by day. While the jury is still out about the best app for alcohol delivery, the following apps are emerging as consumer favorites-

• Drizzly- a start-up based out of Boston and made exclusively to deliver liquor
• Boxed- delivers everyday essentials including alcohol
• Saucey– an alcohol delivery app based in Los Angeles and several other cities

In fact, the Drizzly liquor delivery app saw a big leap in sales from March witnessing a 550 % jump in sales.

Also read: How does Drizzly work?

Is it a good idea to invest in an alcohol delivery app?

Yes! If the above facts are not convincing enough then here are some more stats:

The liquor industry is one of the most lucrative markets globally, generating a revenue of USD 222,098M in 2020 alone. And it is predicted to only grow with a valuation anticipated to reach $1,684 billion by 2025. 

A liquor delivery app is bound to gain momentum due to:

• its convenience
• user-friendly interface
• the promise of better brand visibility and contactless delivery

But more importantly, the online alcohol market is a relatively virgin sector with most of the liquor being sold offline to date. This means that with the right app features, you have the scope to bring a revolution in this sector. 

Features of alcohol delivery apps

An on-demand alcohol delivery app is meant to connect the buyer remotely to an alcohol retailer.  Customers can browse through the catalog of liquor available and order their choice to be delivered at their doorstep. So, what does it take to develop the Uber of the alcohol industry? 

Apart from the basic search and filter options, store locator, delivery tracking, geolocation along easily viable payment options are the necessities to endear you to your niche customer base. Let’s take a look at some important features that should be an integral part of every booze delivery app.

Alcohol Delivery Customer App

1. Sign Up/Sign In
2. Store Locator 
3. Search/ Browse products
4. Smart filter
5. Schedule Delivery
6. Re-order
7. Order Tracking
8. Reviews and ratings
9. Notifications
10. In-app payment
11. Order history
12. Special promo and offers
13. Help and support

The user can sign in, choose the location of delivery, browse through the catalog of alcohol, choose from them and order the booze. Then they can pay for the service, wherein they will be shown the driver details and can track the order till they receive their order. Options will be provided to rate and review the product once it is delivered.

Alcohol Delivery Driver App

1. Registration/Sign in
2. Availability toggle
3. Accept/Reject requests
4. View order details
5. In-app navigation
6. Delivery history
7. Help and support
8. Rate and review
9. In-app chat

Alcohol Delivery Store App

1. Product listing
2. Inventory management
3. Manage product information
4. Accept/Reject requests
5. Track delivery person
6. Invoice generation
7. Manage promotions 
8. Notifications
9. Manage ratings and reviews
10. View customer details
11. Help and support
12. Availability toggle
13. Reports and analytics
14. Age and document verification

Admin dashboard

1. Log in
2. Oversee customers
3. Handle delivery executives
4. SUpervise liquor stores
5. Manage products
6. Control promo and offers
7. Track orders
8. Track payments
9. Manage newsletter
10. Manage notifications
11. Manage ratings and reviews
12. Business analytics and reports

Here is a walkthrough video of the admin panel of one of the alcohol delivery apps from our portfolio. You can check it out to better understand how the features included in the panel work.

Advanced features

1. Save Card Details

You can offer to save the customers’ card details so that the next time the customer makes any transactions, they can pay directly by entering the CVV of the card. This saves the customer the hassle of entering the card details every time they make a transaction. 

However, card information is very sensitive and needs to be secured when making payments online. 

2. Cost calculator

This enables the consumers to compare the cost of drinks so that they can find drinks as per their budget.

3. Product Description

This will inform your potential customers about your products to generate more sales by allowing consumers to make informative decisions and also increase your visibility online.

4. In-app referrals

This feature offers existing users incentives when they refer to the app. This way, both the new and existing app users feel the need to use the app and enjoy the benefit besides promoting your app.

5. Add favorites

If a user sees a product they like, but aren’t sure whether or not to purchase it right away, they can save it for later via the add favorites option.

6. Share product details

With this option, you can encourage potential customers to share the details of the products so others could buy them for them or order them themselves. 

7. Scan alcohol labels

Users can scan the alcohol label and find out reviews, product details, prices, offers, etc.

8. Heat Apps

This allows the app owner to track visitors’ behavior patterns meaning the owner is aware of the areas with better order rates, hot pickup, and drop-off places. 

How to monetize your liquor delivery app?

1. Ad management plugins

These apps are an appropriate platform to promote ads related to services and products featured on the app. Advertisers are often willing to shed out big bucks to run ad campaigns on these apps to reach out to a wider audience.

2. Delivery charges

Depending on the distance of the user from the liquor store, app owners can slap an extra delivery fee on the order. This delivery fee may be a flat rate or you may apply dynamic delivery charges in which case the charges depend on the distance, timings, weather condition, or current situation. 

3. Commission based revenue model

The simplest way to generate revenue is wherein the app owner gets a cut for every order placed via the app.

4. Featured listings

The alcohol manufacturers are desperate to ensure that their outlets are featured at the top of the screen to increase visibility and would be ready to pay a hefty amount to ensure that their product stays on top of the list. It increases their chances of sale and is a profitable revenue model for alcohol delivery apps

5. E-store

The feature is an extra way to earn revenue where you sell products related to the beverage industry like mineral water, wine glasses, beer mug, etc. This is convenient for the business and app owners as well as the consumer.

Cost of developing on-demand alcohol delivery app

There are various factors contributing to the cost of developing the app-from the type of platform to launch the app to the level of complexity, advanced features among others. 

App Platform

It is always better to decide beforehand which app development service you want for your app-iOS or Android. Depending on your budget, you can launch your app on both these platforms or either one of the two. 

Advanced features

Besides the basic features mentioned above which are a necessity for these types of apps, you can make your app stand out among others by introducing some special features. However, this will lead to extra charges which is why you should go for features according to your budget.

Technology Stack

To make your app more appealing to the user, it is important that the app comes integrated with the latest technologies. This will add on to the development charges and includes-

Cloud Environment	AWS and Google
Front-end Development	CSS3 and Bootstrap
Back-end Development	Angular JS, Python, or JavaScript
Database	Cassandra, Postgres, MongoDB, HBase, MySQL
Data Management	Datastax
SMS, Voice & Phone Verification	Nexmo, Twilio, Sinch
Real-time Analytics	Spark, IBM, Apache Flink, Hadoop, Cisco, BigData
Data Storage & Security	Amazon data servers or Google Cloud Storage
Payment Methods	Braintree, Stripe, & PayPal
Real-time Notifications	APNS
Programming	Google Web Toolkit
MailChimp, SendinBlue	Integration

Required Team Structure

It is important that the team that you hire to make a delivery app is well versed with the latest app development trend. Finding the right team is difficult. And before hiring anyone for the job you should be aware of the app development team structure comprising mainly of developers, designers, and managers.

• Business analysts
• Project manager
• iOS & Android developers 
• UI/UX front-end developers
• Back-end developers
• QA professionals
• Sales and marketing

Country

The app development cost also depends largely on the country or the region where your app development company is located. Here are some approximate hourly costs of developers as per different countries-

USA developers: $80 to $100 per hour
UK developers: $50 to $75 per hour
Europe developers: $40 to $60 per hour
India developers: $25 to $40 per hour
Australia developers: $50 to $70 per hour

The above factors are mainly to be taken into consideration while developing the liquor delivery app. However, depending on the app development platform chosen (Android, iOS, or both) and the country of development, the cost is bound to fluctuate. It is important to take all these factors into consideration beforehand and put together an estimation that does not compromise the quality of your app.

Stepwise method to develop an alcohol delivery app

Plan the concept of the app

Before moving any further, the owner should have a clear idea about the purpose of the app and how they would like to app to function. Once the core idea behind developing the app becomes clear, it is easier to move on to the next steps.

Devise mock-up models

58% of users are said to delete an application frustrated by User Interface inconsistencies. 

If you do not want your app to meet the same fate, then you should ensure a good user experience. 

A good user experience can only be achieved when your user interface is good. A major step in the designing process that many app developers tend to overlook is to create app mockups. Creating one or several mockups can help you check plaguing concerns like user frustration, app abandonment, and more.

Most developers are also not aware of market preferences, color psychology, design hierarchy, and more. Developing a mockup gives you an idea about how the app will look and feel once it’s ready to hit the market. 

The wireframe is a simple, inexpensive way to build app mockups and evaluate them.

Hire the right app development company

Keeping in mind the team structure mentioned before, the next step is to approach a well-qualified and experienced app development company that can put your thoughts into action. Schedule an appointment where you can put forth your goals and envisioned features for the app along with the timeframe within which this should be achieved. 

Choosing the monetization model

Based on the different kinds of monetization techniques provided, you need to decide the method by which you want to generate revenue from your app.

Select the right tech stacks

There are a multitude of options to choose from and selecting the wrong language or framework may cause serious consequences. A few points are to be kept in mind before choosing a purposeful tech stack-

• Platform
• Scalability
• Performance
• Team Expertise
• Maintenance 
• Cost
• Security

Depending on the requirements of the project, your team of professional developers can suggest the best tools to develop a scalable and highly functional app that will beat the competition.

App testing

Since your app is almost ready to be launched now, quality assurance testing is necessary before giving it a final nod. A software development lifecycle (SDLC) is incomplete without quality assurance (QA) testing. QA testing is necessary because of the following reasons

• Catches defects early on saving the owner a lot of money
• Offers an objective, third-party perspective on the product.
• Improves user experience
• Ensures product security

How Idea Usher can help in kick starting alcohol delivery app?

Idea Usher has a dedicated team of mobile app developers, who offer affordable and high-quality mobile app development services. 

Here, you can consult with the industry experts and choose from a wide range of innovative application solutions. They will ensure that you keep up with the changing demands of modern customers so that you emerge a winner in a competitive environment.

Final words

The alcohol business is already a flourishing market. If you combine that with hassle-free doorstep delivery and a plethora of liquor stores and brands at the customers’ fingertips to choose from, you have a money-making venture sitting on your lap. With the right features and proper implementation by the app development company, you are likely to build a user-friendly mobile alcohol delivery app that can bring a revolution spanning both the beverage and mobile applications industries.

FAQ

Q. If I want more features for my app, can the app developer help me?

A. Yes, the developer can always integrate additional features as per your “requirement”.

Q. Does your company provide post-launch support?

We are ready to be with you throughout your journey and offer support at all steps. You can contact us and discuss with our experts the details.

Q. Can each order be tracked separately?

A. Yes, the app will be designed in a way that each order can be tracked individually with utmost precision.