The 7-Eleven Group is investing in Tipple, a company that claims to be Australia’s largest on-demand alcohol-delivery start-up.
Tipple says it gives customers a ‘bottle shop in your pocket’ experience, delivering in 30 minutes by partnering with local independent bottle shops.
Since launching in October 2015, Tipple has grown rapidly to service more than 120 suburbs across Melbourne and Sydney. It has targeted even more zones, cities and bottle-shop partners to “disrupt” Australia’s alcohol market in the next 12 months.
Tipple’s founders say they developed a “proprietary technology platform” in-house to drive the company. It “seamlessly” integrates with local bottle shops, they say, and allows on-demand “last-mile” delivery logistics on a national scale.
7-Eleven CEO Angus McKay said, “7-Eleven led the way in digital innovation with our world-first Fuel App. We continue to explore how we can best meet the evolving needs of our convenience customers through digital, delivery and in-store services.
“Tipple’s business model and platform is well-aligned with these interests. It has grown significantly since starting up less than three years ago.
“While in time there may be interesting opportunities for the two businesses to explore and work together serving convenience customers, for now this partnership is about bringing our customer insights and marketing expertise to help accelerate the growth and expansion of Tipple as a standalone business.”
‘Couldn’t be happier’
Founder and CEO of Tipple Ryan Barrington welcomed the backing of 7-Eleven.
“We couldn’t be happier to be preparing for the next phase of Tipple’s growth alongside 7-Eleven,” he said.
“Their expertise and capabilities are unparalleled. But it’s our shared ambition to create new and engaging customer experiences on the cutting edge of convenience that excites us most.
“We’re very excited about the potential for this partnership to transform the landscape of both alcohol and convenience retailing in Australia.”
