Poland’s largest online marketplace, Allegro, is to pilot the sale of alcohol on its platform.
The sale, however, will be subject to major restrictions, including sobriety assessments.
While online supermarket sites and wine merchants have been selling and delivering alcoholic beverages for many years, neither Allegro, Amazon, nor any of the other large marketplace sites have included alcohol drinks in their product range before.
The reason for the change of heart, according to reports, is a 2022 Supreme Administrative Court ruling that deemed selling alcohol over the internet as legal.
But the court also ruled that laws such as forbidding the sale of alcohol to people under the age of 18 or people already inebriated apply to online sellers.
From October 21, the Warsaw-listed Allegro, which has around 14 million users, aims to allow licensed alcohol traders to place their products on its platform. The vendors will, however, have to conform to a very stringent set of rules the site has put in place for alcohol sales.
While online supermarket sites and wine merchants have been selling and delivering alcoholic beverages for many years, neither Allegro, Amazon, nor any of the other large marketplace sites have included alcohol drinks in their product range before.
The reason for the change of heart, according to reports, is a 2022 Supreme Administrative Court ruling that deemed selling alcohol over the internet as legal.
But the court also ruled that laws such as forbidding the sale of alcohol to people under the age of 18 or people already inebriated apply to online sellers.
From October 21, the Warsaw-listed Allegro, which has around 14 million users, aims to allow licensed alcohol traders to place their products on its platform. The vendors will, however, have to conform to a very stringent set of rules the site has put in place for alcohol sales.
Under the new rules, alcoholic drink offers will only be visible on Allegro to signed-in registered customers over the age of 18 who have access to the site.
Alcohol products will only be delivered between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Fridays (until 12 noon on Saturdays), and there will be no option of having alcohol delivered in any other way than by courier. The couriers will be instructed to check the identity and the sobriety of the person accepting the delivery. The recipient will need to provide an order PIN.
But the possibility of people having booze delivered to their doors, however, has attracted criticism.
Jan Śpiewak, a left-wing Warsaw political activist, said Allegro “would have blood on its hands.”
“Alcohol in squeeze bottles, alcohol in 50-cl packs, alcohol at every step, alcohol on Allegro. We need a ban on the sale of quarter bottles and labels on alco-pops like the ones on cigarettes. When will the government start fighting back against the alcohol lobby?”
Yet Allegro said it is going for a more up-market user.
“Market research shows that the purchase of alcohol online is planned in advance. It is normally a purchase for a special occasion. Consumers want to buy specialized products or premium offerings for connoisseurs.”
Alcohol products will only be delivered between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Fridays (until 12 noon on Saturdays), and there will be no option of having alcohol delivered in any other way than by courier. The couriers will be instructed to check the identity and the sobriety of the person accepting the delivery. The recipient will need to provide an order PIN.
But the possibility of people having booze delivered to their doors, however, has attracted criticism.
Jan Śpiewak, a left-wing Warsaw political activist, said Allegro “would have blood on its hands.”
“Alcohol in squeeze bottles, alcohol in 50-cl packs, alcohol at every step, alcohol on Allegro. We need a ban on the sale of quarter bottles and labels on alco-pops like the ones on cigarettes. When will the government start fighting back against the alcohol lobby?”
Yet Allegro said it is going for a more up-market user.
“Market research shows that the purchase of alcohol online is planned in advance. It is normally a purchase for a special occasion. Consumers want to buy specialized products or premium offerings for connoisseurs.”
More In Business MORE...
