E-commerce News South Africa

Liquor.co.za launches to service B2C and B2B customers

New online liquor store Liquor.co.za has launched in South Africa. The digital platform caters to the need for an e-commerce portal that can service both direct-to-customer (D2C) and high-volume business-to-business (B2B) requirements, and is the result of a collaboration of expertise from key players in the liquor and entertainment industries.
Source: Screenshot
Source: Screenshot

Liquor.co.za platform forms part of the Cascade Holdings stable bringing together the brains of Adam Chaskalson, Tyrone Lasarow, Shaun Duwe and Allen Jaffe.

Chaskalson and Lasarow previously owned the largest mobile bar company in Cape Town and have experience on the product development and logistics side, while Duwe understands how the South African alcohol and entertainment landscape fits together. Lastly, Jaffe and his team at eComplete bring technological expertise in the e-commerce field with a solution that is powering many of SA’s leading brands and retailers.

Simplifying orders for the public and the trade

"Liquor.co.za is not driven by traditional liquor retailers trying to do e-commerce for the first time and it's also not being run by digital specialists just making a go at the liquor market with no skin in the game. It is a wholly online-only offering for the local liquor market, run by professionals with pedigree in the liquor trade as well as the digital landscape. Essentially tech is one part of the puzzle, but that supply, merchandising and customer support are all crucial too," says Duwe.

In that vein, the team behind the new platform has created two separate websites under the domain of liquor.co.za. “The B2C interface is exciting, but the B2B side perhaps even more so. Our platform will enable businesses to order using a self-service approach with easy-to-use functionality which in the past hasn’t been available,” Duwe adds.

“The trade is still ordering using a frustrating, antiquated, archaic mechanism which still includes fax. On Liquor.co.za a food and beverage manager will be able to login to the back-end portal, be able to select their own products and volumes and even reorder their last order - all very quickly. It is going to change the game,” Lasarow concluded.

The Liquor.co.za team designed the website's customer interface to focus on providing consumers with a platform that is user-friendly yet has a personality and flair behind it. Jaffe explains, “We have gone with a mobile-first approach. Not only have we crafted one of the easiest checkout experiences, but we’ve engineered it to be easy to find what you’re looking for, quicker than anyone else.”

Brands across the spectrum

Liquor.co.za is promising "the best deals on a vast range of liquor products", from the popular to the premium and those crafted, seldom-seen brands. Chaskalson says a gap exists in the South African market for this type of offering.

“Since Covid-19 the world has moved to online platforms when it comes to meetings, shopping and anything that gives people a sense of security in terms of not being in crowds or having to drive somewhere. Liquor, in particular, is something that should be easy to order from the comfort of your home,” comments Chaskalson.

However, he adds that service remains key. “With so many competitors out there giving clients everything they need from a service perspective, leaving them impressed will ensure you grow that relationship for a sustainable length of time leading to word of mouth which is the best form of marketing.”

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