Using Mandatory Sales Reports to Monitor Same‐Day Alcohol Delivery Trends in New South Wales

TL;DR

This study uses mandatory sales reports to analyze same-day alcohol delivery trends in New South Wales from 2021 to 2024.

Contribution

The paper introduces the use of government-mandated sales data to monitor alcohol delivery trends, highlighting data limitations.

Findings

Only 49 retailers reported sales, with four accounting for 89% of alcohol sold.

Per capita alcohol consumption via same-day delivery averaged 0.08 liters of pure alcohol.

Industry data suggests an average of over one liter of pure alcohol per delivery transaction.

Abstract

Industry reports suggest that same‐day alcohol delivery service usage has increased substantially in recent years. In 2021, the New South Wales (NSW) government established a framework to reduce the risks associated with same‐day deliveries, which included mandatory sales reports from retailers. Using this data, this study aims to quantify the nature of the same‐day delivery market across NSW.

Six‐monthly aggregate data from July 2021 to June 2024 were obtained on the volume of beer, wine and spirits self‐reported by alcohol retailers as sold by same‐day delivery, by delivery postcode. Frequencies were used to examine the number of retailers, postcodes and amount of alcohol sold in each reporting period. Heat maps were used to examine sales per capita by postcode. Comparisons were also made with data extracted from publicly available industry reports and national consumption estimates.

Forty‐nine retailers reported sales, with four accountable for 89% of alcohol sold, and only 8 retailers consistently reporting across the entire period. Market share fluctuated substantially by retailer and liquor category. Statewide per capita consumption was 0.09 L of pure alcohol in 2021–22, 0.07 in 2022–23, and 0.08 in 2023–24. Comparison to industry data suggested that on average over a litre of pure alcohol was delivered per transaction.

NSW sales data has the potential to provide a unique insight into the nature of the same‐day delivery market. The current level of data aggregation limits its utility; a lack of compliance checking and anomalies in the data bring its validity into question.

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