CLEVELAND and PHOENIX—Alcohol delivery app Saucey announced the expansion of its services across more cities in Ohio, including Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Youngstown, and it is coming to Arizona, too. Saucy has partnered with an unnamed “international convenience store chain” for both states to bring alcohol and convenience items across 104 municipalities in Ohio and 40 municipalities in Arizona.

Customers can place an order through Saucey's website or app, accessing anything from a bottle of wine to a six-pack of beer, to a wide variety of convenience items including soda, candy, lighters and more.

Saucey has grown rapidly since its launch in 2014. Through this past year specifically, the company has continuously expanded to meet rapidly growing consumer demand, launching in Connecticut, Georgia, Oregon and more. With the addition of these municipalities in Arizona and Ohio, the company now operates in 750 cities across 15 states.

According to a recent NACS Magazine article, in a few years, as much as one-quarter of all retail alcoholic beverage sales could be taking place online, according to one e-commerce expert. That compares with less than 2% prior to the start of the pandemic last year.

For progressive convenience-store operators interested in capitalizing on the shift, it may be time to consider the opportunities—along with the challenges—of online beverage alcohol sales.

“As retailers, we’re always striving to find new profit centers for our stores,” said Troy Little, president of Quik Mart, in the article. The company’s decision to partner with Minibar Delivery, a platform for on-demand delivery of wine, beer, liquor, mixers and more, in 2019, “has been a surprisingly nice addition,” Little noted, providing high rings and repeat business.

Learn more about how the e-commerce of adult beverages lifts sales and attracts new customers in the NACS Magazine article “Cheers to Home Delivery.”