The digital alcohol delivery service Thirstie announced today it has entered into an agreement to buy DrinkFly.
DrinkFly is a Chicago-based on-demand alcohol delivery company with a presence in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Dallas, Houston and New York.
The DrinkFly acquisition will grow Thirstie’s existing footprint in the U.S., particularly in Chicago, becoming the largest on-demand alcohol delivery option in metro Chicago’s wine, beer, and spirits market, the company says.
“DrinkFly has built a loyal user base that we’re excited to engage with, providing quick and easy alcohol delivery, as well as content around cocktail culture through The Craft,” said founder and CEO Devaraj Southworth, in a press release. “Because of Thirstie’s experience in the market, we are confident the transition will be seamless for DrinkFly users, with the same great service, delivery time and fee structure they’ve become accustomed to from DrinkFly.”
DrinkFly users will also now have access to Thirstie’s digital magazine, The Craft (which the company says produces 80% of their customers), with news, hosting tips and local stories.
Founded in 2014, DrinkFly has been a leading alcohol delivery service in Chicago, growing 55% month over month (as of January 2016). Thirstie projects to double DrinkFly’s month-over-month growth, the company says.
DrinkFly’s co-founders Alex and Will Cullen will take on an advisory role at Thirstie and transition DrinkFly’s retail partners and customers to the combined entity.
Since November 2014, Thirstie has experienced 34% month-over-month customer growth and now serves 20 markets, the company says, with Ontario being the latest expansion, the company says. Average order growth has increased 41% with an average order size upwards of $75 and 60% repeat usage.
In addition, Thirstie’s mobile app receives over 30,000 monthly downloads.
