Kroger expands wine delivery for the holidays

Dive Brief:

Kroger has added new features to Kroger Wine, the grocer’s wine delivery service that launched last year in partnership with wine-as-a-service company Drinks, according to a company press release.
To offer a more personalized wine-buying experience, shoppers can now customize their online selection with a "build-your-own pack" feature, where they can choose from 45 different wines.
Kroger is also offering a special wine promotion from Nov. 25 through Dec. 9, where customers can get $50 off most of the store’s 12-pack wine collections, with shipping included. Collections include options like the Holiday Celebrations case and the Fruity Reds case.

Dive Insight:

Since its launch in 14 states last year, Kroger Wine has expanded to Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey. On Wednesday, the company announced the service is now also available in Arizona, making Kroger Wine accessible to 58 million households both within and outside of Kroger’s brick-and-mortar footprint, according to the release.

Kroger utilizes the Drinks platform for its wine delivery, which provides product curation, supply chain and technology requirements, Drinks CEO Zac Brandenberg told Grocery Dive in a previous interview. The company handles compliance, identity checks and associated logistics so its retail partners can focus on promoting and marketing their wines.

Kroger's expanded service seeks to capitalize on holiday merriment and gift-giving. According to a survey covered last year by Food & Wine, shoppers say they double their alcohol consumption between Thanksgiving and New Year's.

Alcohol delivery, especially beer and wine, is a burgeoning service that retailers are adding to keep shoppers engaged and increase online sales. Aldi and Walmart have both added alcohol delivery in recent weeks, while Instacart has continued to expand its offerings with grocery partners.

Historically, the requirements and rules around alcohol delivery prevented grocers from offering it online. But the growth of companies third-party companies like Drinks, Thirstie and Drizly have allowed retailers to outsource some of the logistics.