Chicagoans can order alcohol from Binny’s Beverage Depot through Instacart, an on-demand delivery service, but suburbanites will have to wait for such luxury.
For Binny’s, the partnership announced Tuesday allows the liquor store chain to widen its already significant reach in the Chicago market, said spokesman Greg Versch.
“There’s a customer set built into Instacart that maybe weren’t Binny’s customers before,” Versch said. “Different people have different expectations. This is another way to meet those expectations.”
Binny’s, with 31 stores, has its own fleet of vans for deliveries, but those deliveries tend to be more for events that call for copious amounts of booze, like parties and weddings, Versch said. While Instacart will only be available in the city, the hope is to eventually expand it to the suburbs.
Instacart already delivers alcohol from some grocery stores, like Mariano’s and Plum Market, but Binny’s represents its first partnership with a “pure play” alcohol retailer in the Chicago market, said John Maslowski, Instacart’s business development lead for the Midwest.
The San Francisco-based delivery company now serves 18 major markets in the U.S. and, when it comes to delivering alcohol, complies with local regulations in each city, Maslowski said. The Instacart “shoppers” — about 100 part-time employees in Chicago — check identification upon delivery, he said.
Instacart charges a fee of $5.99 for a delivery within two hours on an order that’s at least $35. Fees are higher for smaller orders or speedier deliveries.
Alcohol delivery in Chicago is not new. Other companies like Minibar, Saucey and Drizly already operate in Chicago. Peapod, one of the longer tenured grocery delivery services in Chicago, also delivers alcohol. But Instacart is the only one doing business with Binny’s, Versch said.
Twitter @GregTrotterTrib
