Instant Delivery Firm Gopuff Acquires Liquor Barn

Instant delivery platform Gopuff has acquired Liquor Barn, an independent chain of beer, wine and liquor stores in Kentucky, from private equity firm Blue Equity.

The deal, which provides Gopuff with access to Liquor Barn's infrastructure, established customer base and product assortment, further accelerates Gopuff’s scale and market share in the “instant needs” category, the digital-based delivery service said.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Liquor Barn, an incredible brand and team with loyal customers, as we bring the Gopuff experience to new customers across Kentucky,” said Daniel Folkman, Philadelphia-based Gopuff’s SVP of business. “This acquisition brings two customer-focused brands together to introduce new products and experiences while rapidly accelerating Gopuff’s geographic footprint in the region as we continue our expansion.”

He added, “We look forward to welcoming Liquor Barn to the team, becoming more deeply entrenched in the Bluegrass State and serving as a go-to solution for new customers to fulfill their most sought-after instant needs.”

The acquisition accelerates Gopuff’s expansion in Kentucky and provides more customers in the state—including more than 80% of Louisville and Lexington residents—with access to immediate delivery of everyday items, including food and drinks, alcohol, baby and pet products, cleaning supplies and over-the-counter medicine, along with local products. The deal positions Gopuff to support Kentucky’s bourbon industry by working with distributors to expand access to products nationwide and introduce products to new customers within the state via “instant” delivery, the firm said.

“As a customer-focused business, we are delighted to partner with Gopuff given their extraordinary commitment to the customer experience. Through this partnership, we will continue to deliver beer, wine and spirits and will add thousands of new items that our customers need in everyday life. We are excited to join Gopuff in their mission and forge the future of the Instant Needs category together,” said Jonathan Blue, chairman of Blue Equity and Liquor Barn. “The Liquor Barn team has built a trusted, strong brand, and Gopuff is the ideal partner to bolster the business into this next era of growth and meet customers’ evolving needs. We look forward to working closely with Gopuff as we integrate Liquor Barn into their business and serving as strategic advisers on alcohol-related initiatives.”

Louisville, Ky.-based Blue Equity’s portfolio includes holdings in oil and gas, media, talent, sports and entertainment, spirit and wine distillation and retailing, hospitality and traditional distribution businesses.

The Liquor Barn, Party Mart and wine retailer DEP’s footprint of 23 stores—with seven locations in Louisville, six in Lexington, as well as in Bowling Green, Covington, Danville, Elizabethtown, Fort Thomas and Owensboro—provides infrastructure for Gopuff to integrate into its network of microfulfillment centers. Gopuff and Blue Equity said they would work in partnership to integrate Louisville-based Liquor Barn’s customer loyalty, talent, industry expertise and convenient locations with Gopuff’s assortment of everyday essentials and technology-enabled instant delivery.

Gopuff acquired alcohol beverage retailer BevMo in December. The Concord, Calif.-based retailer operates 161 brick-and-mortar stores throughout California. Gopuff said it would expand its network of local microfulfillment centers on the West Coast by integrating its technology and delivery solution with BevMo’s infrastructure.

With microfulfillment centers in every market it serves, Gopuff delivers thousands of products quickly for a flat $1.95 delivery charge.

Founded in 2013 by co-founders and co-CEOs Rafael Ilishayev and Yakir Gola, Gopuff currently operates more than 450 sites, including more than 275 microfulfillment centers and more than 185 recently acquired BevMo, Fancy and Liquor Barn locations.

A version of this story was previously published at CSPDailyNews, a WGB sister site.