Alcohol delivery service shows power of mobile platforms

Earlier this year, this blog covered Lakemaid Beer, a company that planned to use drones to deliver 12 packs of beer to ice fisherman in the frozen lakes of Wisconsin. While demand would seem high for such a service, the FAA shut them down because the use of drone delivery is currently a legal skirmish.

However, that doesn't mean that beer delivery is out of the question. A recent article from the New York Post profiled the business and mobile application Drizly. Started in Boston by three just out of college entrepreneurs, the idea is that a user can download the free app and sign-up for a membership. Then, they can select the beer, cider, wine, liquor and soft drinks they want and have it delivered to their doorstep for a small delivery charge.

After raising nearly $5 million in investment capital and having a successful Boston launch last year, the company is expanding to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

This is a marketplace that could get crowded fast. According to the article it has a low cost of entry and few barriers. Drizly has its application and sales team, but is partnered with select liquor stores to fulfill the orders. Entrepreneurs that are able to manage all aspects of their operations in this way can provide a quality product.

This shows what is possible with the right idea and a strong delivery service. Both sides are equally as important. The logistics alone come with a number of challenges, as it is important to make sure that every order is received, fulfilled properly and delivered in a timely manner that helps organizations improve overall operations.