Press

Frontline delivery agent training launched to prevent delivery of alcohol to minors and those intoxicated

  • New frontline agent training launched to support anyone delivering alcohol to do so responsibly and in accordance with the law
  • Deliveroo and Gorillas are the newest partners to join leading drinks producers and online retailers to prevent online sale and delivery to those underage and tackle harmful drinking amongst adults
  • Revenue in the global online food delivery segment is projected to reach US$323bn in 20221
As the global online food delivery segment is set to reach $323bn in 2022, the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) is launching training to equip anyone delivering alcohol with tools to deny delivery where necessary, including communication techniques for handling tricky situations.
This new training resource for frontline delivery agents supports the implementation of IARD’s global standards for e-commerce. Deliveroo and Gorillas are the latest companies to join the global standards coalition of leading beer, wine, and spirits companies and major online retailers, e-commerce and delivery platforms for the responsible sale and delivery of alcohol. This global partnership was established to prevent sale to minors, reduce harmful drinking among adults, and help ensure alcohol is delivered only to recipients in accordance with local or national laws and regulations.
A core element of delivering alcohol lawfully and responsible to adults who choose to drink is to ensure frontline deliver agents are empowered and supported to deny delivery where necessary. IARD’s training tool is available in several languages and highlights the importance of refusing delivery in the following scenarios:
  • Where valid ID cannot be produced when age is in question
  • Where those of legal purchase age appear to be purchasing alcohol for minors
  • Where recipients are knowingly intoxicated
The global standards aim to support the development of national in-country codes and practices for the online sale and delivery of alcohol, which build on local and national regulation.

Retailers involved in the partnership are committed to put in place monitoring systems to measure compliance with the standards and have mechanisms so consumers can feed back.

Henry Ashworth, IARD President and CEO, said:

“The way people purchase alcohol beverages is shifting, with rapid growth in online delivery services. IARD member companies are determined to play their part in ensuring that delivery drivers are confident and comfortable when handing over alcohol beverages. Training tools are crucial to support frontline agents and IARD’s new training resource uses lessons from traditional sales environments to empower them to deny delivery where necessary.

“We are delighted that Deliveroo and Gorillas are joining forces with leading beer, wine and spirts companies, online retailers, and other leading e-commerce platforms worldwide to prevent the sale and delivery of alcohol to minors and to reduce harmful drinking among adults. We urge others to become part of the alliance.”


Paul Bedford, Deliveroo’s Global Director of Policy and Public Affairs said:

“We take our responsibilities to customers very seriously – so we are pleased to join IARD’s global standards coalition, building on our efforts to ensure the responsible sale and delivery of alcohol to Deliveroo customers.”


Alexander Brunst, Gorillas’ Global Vice President Corporate Social Responsibility, Public Affairs and Sustainability said:
 
“As one of the leading quick commerce players, ensuring the highest standards of responsible business practices for our sector is an important focus for us. Through joining the IARD global standards we want to set a strong stance for a safe and appropriate shopping experience at every point of the customer journey – from the first purchase intent in our app and product selection, until the delivery is made to an appropriate recipient at the doorstep.”

For more information, please contact:
IARD@mhpc.com / 07710 845 531

ENDS

Notes to editors
1 Statista: https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/eservices/online-food-delivery/worldwide

IARD E-commerce Global Standards Coalition: https://iard.org/actions/E-CommerceStandards

IARD Frontline delivery agent training: http://edapp.com/iard/signup
 

New e-commerce partners joining the global standards coalition:

About Deliveroo
Deliveroo is an award-winning delivery service founded in 2013 by William Shu and Greg Orlowski. Deliveroo works with approximately 180,000 best-loved restaurants and grocery partners, as well as around 180,000 riders to provide the best food delivery experience in the world. Deliveroo is headquartered in London, with offices around the globe. Deliveroo operates across 11 markets, including Australia, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and the United Kingdom.

About Gorillas
Founded in May 2020 by CEO Kağan Sümer, Gorillas offers more than 2,000 essential items at retail prices and needs only a few minutes to get a user's order to their desired address by e-bikes. The company has recruited a diverse team of over 10,000 employees - spreading real change in its community.


Full list of partners: Cornershop by Uber; Coles Liquor; Deliveroo; Drizly; Endeavour Drinks; Glovo; Gorillas; Grab; HipBar; JD.com; Jumia; Just Eat Takeaway.com; Mercado Libre; Minibar Delivery; ReserveBar; Retail Drinks Australia; Uber Eats; IARD Member companies (AB InBev; Asahi; Bacardi Limited; Beam Suntory; Brown-Forman; Carlsberg Group; Diageo; Heineken; Kirin; Moët Hennessy; Molson Coors; Pernod Ricard; William Grant & Sons).

International Alliance for Responsible Drinking

© 2021 International Alliance for Responsible Drinking
IARD’s members and the members of its Partnership Council are a diverse group of organizations with a variety of viewpoints. They might not necessarily agree on all or any subjects. Any statements, findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed on this website do not reflect the policies or views of all IARD members or the organizations they represent, unless explicitly stated. However, all members agree on and support IARD’s mission of reducing the harmful use of alcohol.
The resources on this website are not intended as health advice to individuals about their drinking. People with specific questions about their drinking are encouraged to consult a healthcare professional. Together, they can determine what is best for that individual, based on individual risk factors, including family history, genetics, and lifestyle. For some people, the better choice may be to not drink at all.