Alcohol home delivery startup Tipple is now majority owned by international convenience chain 7-Eleven in a deal that promises new opportunities for both businesses.
Tipple was founded by brothers Ryan and Shane Barrington in 2015 in Melbourne, and they have been scaling up the model, which was recently expanded to include parts of Sydney.
The pair originally owned bottle shops within the distribution network, but Tipple now partners with them, just as UberEats, Deliveroo and Menulog partner with restaurants, to deliver alcohol to consumers in less than 30 minutes.
Tipple has its own proprietary delivery technology which includes an online marketplace, tech platform and on-demand delivery network, and can potentially plug into hundreds of retailers to deliver alcohol in less than 30 minutes.
The two businesses will operate separately initially, with the founders to focus on increasing Tipple's reach across Australia by leveraging 7-Eleven’s marketing muscle and consumer insight.