By Joe Ives
April 13 2020, 11.30
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Alcohol delivery company Booze Up has reported a 1,000% rise in visits and 300% increase in sales following the coronavirus outbreak.
The company, founded in 2008, delivers wine, beer, spirits and cigarettes to customers in London, Surrey, Middlesex and Kent.
On March 25 it was announced licensed alcohol shops would be listed amongst essential business, and more and more people have been willing to pay premium prices to get their tipples delivered.
Ashleigh Fletcher, 41, founder and co-director of Booze Up said: “It’s been very very interesting seeing how people have reacted.
“Initially seeing people run for toilet roll, then for food, and then finally run for alcohol.”
Customers have been bulk buying alcohol and up to 50 packets of cigarettes, with the biggest single order coming in at £2,034.
Booze Up has now started opening at 6 pm, three hours earlier than usual, just to keep up with demand.
With orders booming, Mr Fletcher has been working 18 hour days for the past 3 weeks.
He empathised with other business owners who were struggling due to COVID-19 but admitted the crisis had made many people more aware of alcohol delivery services.
Mr Fletcher said: “If we are gonna go out of business we’re probably going to be the very last because of the nature of our business.
“We deal with all walks of life from the average Joe to the royal family.”
Many of Booze Up’s customers are in isolation and the company has to adapt its age checks, asking people to bring ID to their windows to verify that they are over 18.
At the same time, drivers now have to wear masks and gloves when out on orders.
Mr Fletcher has said he has received an increased level of contact from wholesalers no longer able to sell to pubs, bars and clubs.
Despite the company which owns Corona reporting £132million in losses, Booze Up has seen a 200% increase in demand for the beer.
