With eBay’s recent announcement that it is officially partnering with the retailer network platform Drync, the company joins an ever-growing group of industry startups as well as certain key online retailers focused on the shipment and delivery of alcoholic beverages directly to consumers. However, like everything related to the regulation of alcohol, the ability to directly ship alcohol varies widely by state as well as by product. In Pennsylvania, this is particularly true as market participants try to straddle the differences in the rules and regulations regarding beer, which is left largely to the private market, as compared to wine and spirits, which are controlled by the state. While restrictions remain, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board in recent years has developed guidance for the public as well as new market entrants on the contours of obtaining delivery licenses for beer, wine and spirits in the commonwealth.
The Fall of Instacart
In March 2014, the grocery delivery service Instacart rolled into the Philadelphia market to deliver wine and spirits directly from the state stores to your door. Nearly two years to the date Instacart entered the market, it announced the suspension of its delivery services to avoid further enforcement action by the liquor authorities. What happened? What went wrong for Instacart? The answer, of course, lies in the dos and don’ts of alcohol delivery.
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