Manufacturers and retailers create global alliance for alcohol ecommerce standards

The partnership has been formed by the 12 global beer, wine and spirits companies that form the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), alongside 12 prominent global and regional online retailers, and e-commerce and delivery platforms, who operate across six continents.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has accelerated trends for online sale of alcohol, which was forecast to grow by over 40% in 2020, according to IWSR figures. The global alliance seeks to ensure these sales are made responsibly.

“As stewards of some of the world’s most known brands, we are united in our determination to both set and live up to the highest standards of responsible business practices for our sectors and customers,"​ says the alliance. "By working together, leveraging the innovative and pioneering mindsets that drive our companies, we can build on safeguards already in place and set robust responsibility standards across the board.​

“Through our joint efforts, we can forge more meaningful outcomes at scale across the whole supply chain, our wider sectors, and multiple jurisdictions.”​

The global standards of responsibility to be developed will:

• Enhance safeguards and security measures so minors are unable to buy alcohol beverages online

• Put in place mechanisms to prevent beer, wine, and spirits being delivered to minors or to individuals showing visible signs of intoxication

• Promote global standards as a resource to support the development of national in-country codes and practices for the online sale and delivery of alcohol that build on local and national regulation

The manufacturers in the global alliance are: AB InBev, Asahi, Bacardi, Beam Suntory, Brown-Forman, Carlsberg, Diageo, Heineken, Kirin, Molson Coors, Pernod Ricard and William Grant & Sons.

Retailers and delivery services in the global alliance are: North America’s largest online alcohol marketplace Drizly, Australia’s Endeavour Drinks (BWS, Dan Murphy’s), delivery app Glovo, south-east Asia app Grab, Indian home delivery app Hipbar, ecommerce giant JD.com, African ecommerce platform Jumia, Latin America ecommerce tech company Mercado Libre, US delivery service Minibar, the UK’s Retail of Alcohol Standards Group (members include Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s Waitrose and the Wine and Spirit Trade Association), Reserve Bar and Uber Eats.