We order food online. Hailing a cab and buying clothes are also as easy as a tap on the app. But we still have to hang around the liquor shop even today to buy our favourite bottle of alcohol. The result? Customers don’t really get to browse or experiment.
"We found a huge window of opportunity here. With governments opening up to the idea of online sales, we see it as the next big thing," says Vivekanand Balijepalli, co-founder and CEO of Booozie, a Hyderabad-based startup of Innovent Technologies Pvt that hopes to revolutionise the way we procure our drinks.
Booozie claims to be the world’s first social drinking platform, and is both web- and app-based. It not only boasts an array of liquor brands available across India but also lets users filter the list available in a particular state.
It is an aggregator, which picks up liquor from the nearest store with an upfront payment and provides free delivery. They, however, earn money through the commission they get from brands and stores, brand promotions and advertising on their portal.
Susovan Mazumder, co-founder and CPO of Booozie, says, "Our surveys indicated that people refrain from sharing their experiences pertaining to alcohol. Our platform gives the user the freedom to express their experiences. We noticed that there is a lack of information on choosing brands within a budget. Booozie will give users access to a curated database with pricing specific to their state."
In the future, they intend to bring features such as online drinking games which can be played on the platform, prepaid bottles at bars/clubs, spending tracker, etc.
Balijepalli says, "Our home-grown platform intends to connect users to bars/clubs. We have a comprehensive database of bars/clubs in every city. We propose to provide a platform for these outlets to draw users through coupons, events, offers, etc. Through our catalogue rating system, we also intend to help liquor manufacturers and state governments gauge the demand of particular brands."
The app has been up and running since December. "We are currently in the process of commencing operations in West Bengal and will soon start a model called PickNGo. This allows users to pick the liquor without actually entering the store, much like a drive-thru concept. We are testing this in Hyderabad currently," adds Balijepalli.
The firm is in talks with five state governments to permit online delivery. They intend to launch a few more features targeted at party-goers involving collaborations with bars and pubs.
What the App Does
Promotes responsible drinking
Features a database of bars/clubs in every city including their offers and events
Has a catalogue that lists the brands available in every state, with their current MRPs
Delivers free tamper-proof liquor at your doorstep