Online, on-demand, on track: accelerating Diageo’s e-commerce strategy

05 Aug 2021 ESGOur brands
Online, on-demand, on track: accelerating Diageo’s e-commerce strategy

The online market for alcohol sales has changed and we have accelerated our approach to digitalising our engagement with consumers all over the world. Our e-commerce retail sales are still relatively small – but they are growing rapidly, expanding by around 70% over the last year across 13 key markets, including the United Kingdom, Germany and China.

As well as building e-commerce opportunities with existing retail customers, we are developing new channels and partnerships, including on-demand.

On-demand platforms take consumers’ orders and find brick-and-mortar retailers to fulfil them in a fast delivery service model. Investing in partnerships with on-demand platforms at the right time can help give us first mover advantage. That is what we have done in the United States through our partnership with Drizly, a leading on-demand alcohol delivery service.

As well as increasing sales, channels like Drizly give us a greater ability to connect with consumers who are looking to discover more about our brands and who tend towards whiskeys, tequilas and higher-priced products. They also support brand building through features such as customised notifications and on-site marketing.

Our investment in e-commerce is driving results. Between July 2020 and June 2021, five Diageo brands were in the top ten spirits brands sold on Drizly, including two of the top three.1 And on China’s largest platform, T-Mall, Diageo is the market leader in whisky, with a 24% market share.2

1 Drizly, 2020
2 Smartpath, 2021