With sales dropping in a post-pandemic marketplace, Uber has decided to close alcohol delivery app Drizly, reports CBS news.
Plans were to integrate Drizly, which will shut down in March, with Uber’s food delivery service Uber Eats. However, the focus is now on the food sector and providing a one-stop experience to shoppers.
Uber bought Drizly three years ago for $1.1 billion when consumers were flocking to delivery app services for their food and alcohol needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Bloomberg Second Measure, delivery services blossomed 162% compared to the previous year at the height of the pandemic.
However, the market has declined considerably over the past few months now that COVID is no longer keeping people home.
“Wherever you want to go and whatever you need to get, our goal at Uber is to make people’s lives a little bit easier. That’s why we’ve been branching into new categories like groceries, prescriptions and, now, alcohol,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in February 2021.
Drizly was designed to comply with local regulations in more than 1,400 cities across a majority of U.S. states. It worked with local merchants to provide consumers with a selection of beer, wine, and spirits at competitive prices.
