Winning Online: Why eCommerce Sales Matter and How to Succeed
With the latest changes in consumer behavior, having an online presence is no longer optional for liquor store owners; it has become a necessity.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a shift toward online shopping for wine, beer, and spirits, and consumers now expect the convenience of browsing and purchasing their favorite drinks online.
Independent liquor stores that embrace eCommerce gain a competitive edge, while those that don’t risk losing customers to competitors with their own website or delivery app storefront.
In this article, we’ll explore the importance of liquor store eCommerce, the latest industry trends, sales figures, and practical steps on how to sell alcohol online in 2026.
The Rapid Rise of Liquor eCommerce
The liquor retail industry has seen eCommerce growth skyrocket in recent years. In 2020, due to the COVID pandemic, U.S. online alcohol sales jumped by 231% compared to the prior year, which has changed people’s liquor-buying habits to this day. It taught them to buy online.
Despite this rapid growth, online sales still make up a relatively small share of total liquor sales, around 6% of all off-premise alcohol volume by 2025. Still, that's more than triple the amount from less than 2% in 2018.
What was once a niche (buying booze online) is now a mainstream consumer behavior.
In one survey, almost 49% of 21–34 year-olds said they’d likely purchase alcohol from their favorite online retailer if it offered eCommerce, even if that meant abandoning their usual brick-and-mortar liquor store.
The message is clear: to capture the next generation of customers, liquor stores must meet them online.
Your Website Is a 24/7 Storefront
A well-designed website serves as your digital storefront, open 24/7. It allows customers to explore your offerings at their convenience, even outside of normal store hours.
Imagine your customer searching for a specific wine before they go out to run their errands. If you don't have a website, you could lose that customer to a competitor that does.
By having an online presence, you capture these opportunities and expand your reach beyond your physical location. In fact, surveys show that 40% of Americans now order alcohol for home delivery, at least occasionally, valuing the speed and ease of online shopping.
A website effectively becomes a billboard for your catalog, showcasing your inventory and specials to anyone who’s browsing online.
It also establishes credibility; many shoppers will search online before visiting a store, so not appearing in search results is like being invisible to customers who want to check your inventory before coming to the shop.
eCommerce Boosts In-store and Online Sales
Embracing eCommerce doesn’t just create a new revenue stream; it can also drive more traffic to your physical store.
One way is to buy online, pick up in-store. Many busy customers love the convenience of ordering and paying online, then quickly picking up their order at the store.
This not only secures the sale for you, but also brings the customer into your shop, where they might spot additional items to buy or learn about new products.
It effectively combines online convenience with the in-person experience. Offering a “buy online, pick up in-store” feature integrates your online and offline channels, letting customers shop on their terms.
Do You Need a Special License To Sell Alcohol Online?
Usually, you don’t need a separate “internet liquor license,” but you do need the right permissions for how you’ll fulfill orders.
Start with a state/local retail alcohol license tied to a specific premises (licenses are typically issued per location), then add any endorsements/permits your state requires for curbside/BOPIS, local delivery, or shipping.
For example, in Texas, businesses allowed to sell or deliver alcohol-to-go may take orders or payments online, but what you’re allowed to deliver depends on your license/permit type.
At the federal level, retailers must register with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) as a “Retail Beverage Alcohol Dealer” before engaging in sales, and you must register each location.
In states like Virginia, retailers (including out-of-state ones) can ship alcohol to homes only if they hold a specific ABC shipper’s license and comply with quantity caps (for example, no more than two cases of wine or beer per customer per month), and if they use a third-party courier, that company has to hold its own alcohol delivery license and follow strict ID-check and driver rules.
Regulations That Online Liquor Stores Have To Follow
When you sell alcohol online, most rules come down to a few areas: age checks, delivery rules, shipping limits, and recordkeeping.
Age verification. Your site should have an age gate, but the real control is at pickup or delivery. Train staff and drivers to check a valid 21+ ID every time and to refuse the order if the person is underage or clearly intoxicated. If you ship, use a carrier service with “Adult Signature Required” and make sure your account is set up under their alcohol program.
Delivery and shipping rules. What you can deliver (and where) depends on your license and your state. Some states limit hours, distance, or how much alcohol one customer can receive in a day or month. USPS generally doesn’t allow mailing beer, wine, or liquor, so plan on compliant carriers or local delivery only, and turn off shipping at checkout for states you’re not allowed to serve.
Records, taxes, and delivery apps. Keep clear records of purchases and sales, especially shipped orders and big transactions, and make sure your POS handles any extra local alcohol taxes. If you serve customers on the delivery apps, check with your state regulations so that you’re clear on who takes age verification responsibility at the point of delivery. Some states pass this responsibility off to the delivery app driver, while others continue to hold the liquor store accountable for keeping goods out of the hands of minors. Put your rules in writing, train drivers or partners, and spot-check orders so ID checks and refusals are actually happening in the field.
Unified Inventory Management
One of the biggest operational challenges in eCommerce is managing inventory across multiple sales channels.
Nothing frustrates a customer more than placing an online order for a rare whiskey, only to be told later it’s out of stock. These overselling mishaps often occur when a store’s in-store inventory and online inventory aren’t synchronized,
To prevent this, a unified inventory management system is essential. Your point-of-sale (POS) system in the store should be linked to your website so that any purchase (in person or online) updates stock counts everywhere in real time.
This seamless integration eliminates the risk of selling a product online that was just bought in-store minutes prior (or vice versa).
A unified system also streamlines operations and improves customer satisfaction. You won’t need staff manually reconciling online orders with shelf inventory each day, because the system does it automatically. And customers browsing your site will only see items that are actually available, with accurate quantity info.
For example, consider a scenario where you receive a limited allotment of a popular craft gin. With a unified platform, if five bottles sell in-store during the day, those five are immediately deducted from the online inventory count – preventing an online shopper from buying a bottle that isn’t there.
Showing accurate inventory provides a better shopping experience, and it saves your staff time on unnecessary phone calls to customers, telling them that a product they ordered is out of stock.
Best Practices for Liquor Store eCommerce Success
Getting into online sales can feel like a big lift, but you do not need to overcomplicate it. Nail the basics below, and you will win more orders online without creating more work for your team.
- Pick an integrated eCommerce platform
Your website should connect to your POS so inventory stays accurate everywhere. That means what sells in-store disappears online (and vice versa), so you avoid refunds and angry customers. Platforms like Santé make this easier by giving you ready-made website templates and automatically putting your inventory online with the right categories and product images. - Make mobile the priority
Most shoppers will visit your site from their phone. If your site is slow, cluttered, or hard to check out on mobile, you will lose the sale. Keep it fast, simple, and easy to search. Make sure that you have quick payment options like Apple Pay, and test the whole flow on your own phone from homepage to checkout. - Get found locally and stay active on social
People search “liquor store near me” right before they buy. Make sure your Google Business Profile is up to date, with your hours, address, and a link to order online. Then use Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to post new arrivals, bundles, and weekend specials, and always link back to your site. - Build product pages that answer questions
Online shoppers cannot pick up the bottle or ask your staff, so your product pages need to do that job. Add clear photos, tasting notes, origin, size, ABV, and simple pairing ideas. The more confident a shopper feels, the more likely they are to add to the cart. - Plug into delivery apps the smart way
Connect to delivery apps your customers already use so you can reach new shoppers who would never find you otherwise. Make sure your inventory syncs properly so items shown on those apps are actually available. Then use inserts or discount codes in the bag to invite those customers to order from your own eCommerce site next time, where you keep more of the margin.
- Make checkout feel safe and effortless
Use a trusted payment processor and show customers you take security seriously. Offer the payment methods people expect, like cards and digital wallets (Apple Pay and Google Pay), especially for mobile checkout. Fewer steps to pay means fewer abandoned carts. - Be strict and clear on age verification
Alcohol eCommerce comes with rules, and they vary by state. Use an age gate on the site and confirm ID at pickup or delivery every time. Put your policy in plain English on your site so customers know what to expect and your staff stays consistent. - Enroll eligible customers into marketing campaigns
Customers visiting and purchasing on your site give you a prime opportunity to collect their purchase history and engage them with relevant email and SMS campaigns. Events, promotions, restocking sold out products, bringing new products into the store – all present an opportunity to reach out to your customers with prescriptive that encourage them to purchase with you.
- Turn one-time orders into repeat customers
The real money is in repeat business. Run a loyalty program that works both in-store and online, and collect emails at checkout so you can send promos and reminders. If you also sell through third-party marketplaces, include a card or flyer in the bag that invites customers to order directly next time (with a small incentive). This helps you keep the relationship instead of renting it.
The Time is Now
For liquor store owners, prioritizing eCommerce is essential to remain competitive and meet customer expectations. By establishing a modern online presence, enhancing both online and in-store experiences, and implementing a unified inventory management system, you can drive sales and build lasting customer relationships.
Santé POS makes all of this simple. You can spin up a liquor store website in just a few steps using premade templates built specifically for liquor retailers, with key SEO terms already baked in. Your full catalog goes online right away, and each SKU is automatically matched with the right product image, so you do not waste time on manual uploads.
Santé also plugs into delivery apps and then pulls everything back into one place. Online orders, delivery orders, and in-store sales all flow into the same system, so your reporting, inventory, and day-to-day operations stay clean and seamless.
FAQs About Liquor Store eCommerce
1. Can you sell liquor online as an independent store owner?
You can sell liquor online as an independent store owner, as long as you follow your state and local alcohol laws. Many states allow liquor stores to sell liquor online for delivery or pickup, but you must have the right licenses and verify that buyers are 21 or older.
2. How to sell liquor online if I already have a physical store?
If you want to know how to sell liquor online, start by checking your state rules, then choose an eCommerce platform that integrates with your POS, supports age verification, and handles inventory in real time. From there, you can list your products, set up payment and delivery or pickup options, and promote your site through Google and social media.
3. Do you need a license to sell alcohol online?
You do need a license to sell alcohol online. In most cases, you must already hold a retail liquor license and then meet any extra state requirements for delivery, shipping, or eCommerce. Always confirm details with your state alcohol control board or a local attorney before selling liquor online.
4. Can I sell liquor online through delivery apps and my own website?
In many states, you can sell liquor online both through your own website and through third-party delivery apps, as long as each channel follows local laws. A system like Santé POS can help you connect your site and your delivery apps so all orders, inventory, and reports stay in one place.
Santé replaces legacy server-based POS with a single platform for POS, eCommerce, payments, and an AI suite that automates back-office work.
