Walmart expands alcohol delivery to five states

Walmart is expanding its coverage of alcohol delivery, adding five new states to the lineup.

The states include Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, and Ohio. Shoppers in those states will now be able to order beer, wine, and (in some cases), spirits for delivery by Walmart. The alcohol delivery sales expansion is driven primarily due to the liquor law changes in the states mentioned above, with beer and wine widely available, while spirit delivery varies by local laws.

This brings the tally of Walmart alcohol delivery from nearly 2,500 stores across 23 states, building on a program that originated in 2019. Beer and wine can be ordered through Walmart.com or its app, however, customers must provide a photo ID to verify they are at least 21 years old before receiving an order containing alcohol.  

On its website, Walmart warns that it will remove alcohol from the orders of those who cannot prove they are of “legal drinking age, those who appear intoxicated, or those who appear to give alcohol to someone under 21.”

The timing seems to be in line with the retailer’s recent e-commerce successes as mentioned in its latest earnings call, reporting a 27% jump in digital sales during its first quarter, fueled by pickup and delivery. For the prior quarter, Walmart posted a 17% increase in e-commerce sales.

Related:Walmart confident after strong Q1 earnings

“The narrative around Walmart is that not only is it a bastion of safety in this otherwise uncertain world, but it is also a company that is capitalizing on its myriad emerging opportunities as it adapts to a digital landscape,” UBS analyst Michael Lasser said ahead of the company’s recent earnings call.

Along the same lines, Uber-owned alcohol delivery service Drizly released its annual “Consumer Trend Report,” 26% of respondents said they would spend more on drinks for home consumption this year versus in bars and restaurants, and 20% will be “self-bartending” more, reports news and analysis company PYMNTS.

Also, nearly half (47%) of respondents said they will supply alcohol for guests. Additionally, Drizly said, “Gen Z (34%) and millennials (31%) are especially eager to host in 2023, wanting to do more of it this year compared to Gen X (18%) and boomers (12%).”