Restaurateurs go online with their own

Restaurateurs are trying to fit into the experiment on the online sale of Russian wine starting in the fall in Moscow and the Moscow region and are asking senators to consider this possibility. Market participants justify their request by increasing sales channels for local products, but do not hide the fact that they would like to increase their revenue through this. In practice, the inclusion of restaurateurs in the online sale of alcohol will force them to obtain separate licenses for this, experts warn. It will also be difficult for catering to compete with retail, where prices are noticeably lower.

At the disposal of Kommersant was a letter dated February 7 from the President of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia (FRiO) Igor Bukharov to the Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko with a request to lift the ban on the remote sale of alcohol for the catering market. The Federation Council did not respond to Kommersant’s request.

FRIO is trying to connect restaurateurs to the online sales of alcohol before the start of the experiment scheduled for November 1, 2023, the start of the experiment of online trade in Russian wines in Moscow and the Moscow region through the Russian Post. In addition, the government is currently considering a bill allowing retailers to sell all alcohol remotely. The Ministry of Finance, which is the author of this document, did not respond to Kommersant’s request.

It follows from the FRIO letter that it is necessary to pay attention to the restaurant market, since “the early adoption of this document will support the industry, will significantly expand and increase sales channels for Russian wine in the catering segment and will save jobs.” This will be convenient for consumers and “partially help the fight against the shadow sale of alcohol,” said Irina Blagoveshchenskaya, adviser to the president of the FRIO.

Olga Tarasova, director of the Hochu Puri chain, and Lisa Joni, co-owner of The Nest bar, say that there is now a potential demand for the delivery of alcohol from catering establishments. Ms. Joni believes that this could be a good tool for increasing revenue, not only in times of crisis.

However, this idea may be difficult to implement, as retailers have more opportunities to increase their presence in the online alcohol sales segment. “The cost of a drink in restaurants cannot compete with the retail price,” says Perfect Pitch restaurant representative Natalia Fedorova. Restaurateurs have an average markup on drinks of 250–300%, adds Alexander Stavtsev, head of the WineRetail information center.

In addition, according to him, public catering and retail have different types of alcohol licenses, now restaurants cannot sell a closed bottle of alcohol. Most likely, catering players will have to obtain two licenses and register different legal entities, which will entail serious costs and force them to comply with strict requirements for premises, the expert warns.

Another difficulty for restaurateurs, as well as for retailers, will be checking the age of the buyer, says Evgenia Makhneva, founder of Management Factory. In her opinion, it is quite possible that the courier will bring the order and it turns out that the buyer is a minor, and all the alcohol that has already been written off in the EGAIS system will have to be brought back.

In residential areas, alcohol markets are most often located within walking distance, so it is more convenient for consumers to buy alcohol there, Evgenia Makhneva notes. She believes that the offer of alcohol delivery will be relevant for people living in areas where there are no such shops, or in cottage villages.

The main competitors of restaurateurs in online sales will be not only retailers, but also marketplaces that will be able to offer buyers the delivery of alcohol at prices comparable in stores, Alexander Stavtsev believes. In his opinion, the idea of ​​online sales of alcohol by restaurateurs would be competitive if large holdings in the catering market could negotiate exclusive supplies with wine producers.

Daria Andrianova