GoPuff continues expansion with Liquor Barn purchase

June 23, 2021

Steve Rogers,

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ/Businesswire) – Gopuff, a food and consumer products delivery service, has purchased Liquor Barn, one of Kentucky’s leading independent chains of beer, wine and liquor stores, from private equity firm Blue Equity.

The deal, which provides Gopuff with access to Liquor Barn’s infrastructure, established customer base, and unique product assortment, accelerates Gopuff’s scale and its leadership in the Instant Needs category.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Liquor Barn, an incredible brand and team with loyal customers, as we bring the Gopuff experience to new customers across Kentucky,” said Daniel Folkman, Gopuff’s senior vice president for business. “This acquisition brings two customer-focused brands together to introduce new products and experiences while rapidly accelerating Gopuff’s geographic footprint in the region as we continue our expansion. We look forward to welcoming Liquor Barn to the team, becoming more deeply entrenched in the Bluegrass State and serving as a go-to solution for new customers to fulfill their most sought-after instant needs.”

The acquisition significantly accelerates Gopuff’s expansion in Kentucky and provides more customers in the state — including more than 80% of Louisville and Lexington residents — with access to immediate delivery of everyday items, including baby and pet products, cleaning supplies, over-the-counter medicine, food and alcohol, along with local favorites.

The deal uniquely positions Gopuff to support Kentucky’s bourbon industry and its thousands of employees by working with distributors to expand access to products nationwide — and introduce products to new customers within the state via instant delivery.

“As a customer-focused business, we are delighted to partner with Gopuff given their extraordinary commitment to the customer experience. Through this partnership, we will continue to deliver beer, wine and spirits and will add thousands of new items that our customers need in everyday life. We are excited to join Gopuff in their mission and forge the future of the Instant Needs category together,” said Jonathan Blue, Chairman of Blue Equity and Liquor Barn. “The Liquor Barn team has built a trusted, strong brand, and Gopuff is the ideal partner to bolster the business into this next era of growth and meet customers’ evolving needs. We look forward to working closely with Gopuff as we integrate Liquor Barn into their business and serving as strategic advisors on alcohol related initiatives.”

The Liquor Barn, Party Mart and DEP’s footprint of 23 stores provides infrastructure for Gopuff to integrate into its network of micro-fulfillment centers.

Gopuff has a customer fulfillment center off Versailles Road in Lexington, delivering everything from food and alcohol to diapers and cleaning supplies to customers in the city. The service charges a delivery fee and offers a subscription service and promises delivery within 30 minutes.

Gopuff is open 24/7 in many markets and late night everywhere else to bring customers what they need, when they need it most.

Founded in 2013 by co-founders and co-CEOs Rafael Ilishayev and Yakir Gola, students at Drezel University in Philadelphia, Gopuff currently operates more than 450 sites, including 275 micro-fulfillment centers and 185 recently acquired BevMo!, Fancy and Liquor Barn locations.

The company has raised significant funding, including $1.15 billion in March from investors including D1 Capital Partners, Fidelity Management and Research Company, Baillie Gifford, Eldridge, Reinvent Capital, Luxor Capital and SoftBank Vision Fund 1, according to its website.

Gopuff acquired United Kingdom-based food delivery service Fancy in May, and also recently announced a partnership to sell products through the Uber Eats app.

Liquor Barn is Kentucky’s largest independent and locally owned and operated retail chain of spirits, beer and wine with 23 retail locations across the State of Kentucky, including seven locations in Louisville, six locations in Lexington, as well as stores in Bowling Green, Covington, Danville, Elizabethtown, Ft. Thomas and Owensboro.

BLUE EQUITY, LLC is an independent, private equity firm that invests in enterprises with solid developmental potential.