The Jharkhand government has granted leeway to Zomato and Swiggy to begin alcohol delivery services in some of the major cities of the state to put an end to the long queues and overcrowding outside wine shops. This new service will help the food delivery apps to get back on their game as they faced a sharp decline in the business in the last two-month of lockdown.
Zomato has also started delivering alcohol in Jharkhand, Jamshedpur, and Bokaro. Zomato has not revealed how it will be delivering alcohol to consumers. However, it’s believed to be the same as Swiggy. Haryana, Orissa and many other states will allow this service. The delivery companies might soon introduce the services in eight other cities of the state.
“By enabling home delivery of alcohol, we can generate additional business for retail outlets while solving the problem of overcrowding,” said Anuj Rathi, vice president of products at Bengaluru-based Swiggy.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, Swiggy has relentlessly worked to solve customer pain points and support local governments in every way possible. Taking advantage of our existing technology and infrastructure to enable hyperlocal deliveries, we have been working closely with the local authorities to support them with initiatives like the expansion of grocery delivery and COVID-19 relief efforts. By enabling home delivery of alcohol in a safe and responsible manner, we can generate additional business for retail outlets while solving the problem of overcrowding, thereby promoting social distancing,” he added.
What is the procedure?
For the sake of safe liquor delivery and in compliance with laws, Swiggy has introduced measures such as mandatory age verification and user authentication to fulfill orders. To complete the age verification, upload a picture of valid government ID, along with a selfie.
Adding to this, all orders will have an OTP, which is required to be provided at the time of delivery. These steps will limit the quantity being ordered and also prevent underage drinking.
Swiggy has partnered with authorized retailers, who will be listed on the platform after the company has validated their license and other required documents as outlined by the respective state governments.
As per reports, selling of alcohol through food delivery apps in a safe and responsible way will not only generate additional profits for the liquor outlets but also solve the problem of overcrowding.