Coles ramps up safety for online delivery of alcohol

Supermarket giant Coles has joined a coalition of some of the world’s largest liquor companies to promote better standards of alcohol sale and prevent underage consumption through online purchasing.

The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) aims to address the harm of overconsumption of alcohol on a worldwide scale, and promote the understanding of responsible drinking behaviors.

“Most people consume alcohol in a sensible and responsible manner, however, we are committed to harm minimization initiatives that reduce excessive consumption,” said Coles Liquor chief executive Darren Blackhurst.

“We saw a change in customer behavior during Covid-19 and continue to see strong performance in eCommerce, so we have worked to adopt best practice safety protocols online and are pleased to join the IARD to share information on global initiatives and drive further improvement across the industry.”

In an effort to cut down on underage drinking made possible by the increase in online delivery of goods throughout the pandemic, Coles is introducing a number of new safety measures to its delivery practices.

These measures include no unattended same-day delivery, or standard delivery for new or guest customers; no deliveries to be made to a public place in an alcohol-free zone; delivery agents will not be penalized for failing to complete delivery if they believe the recipient is under 18 years of age, or is intoxicated; as well as a ‘self-exclusion program’ where customers can opt-out of delivery services.

Coles is also a signatory on the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code and is a founding member of the not-for-profit organization DrinkWise.