The Mecklenburg County ABC Board’s new app that allows customers to order spirits ahead of in-store pickups is now available in all 30 of its liquor stores — something the county's liquor supplier hopes will help create a smoother buying experience.
Keva Walton, the board's CEO, tells WFAE's All Things Considered host Gwendolyn Glenn that the idea for "ABC To Go" stems from the pandemic, when ABC stores had long lines during that time.
Keva Walton: We had lines because people were waiting, and we were only letting one or two people in at the time and that was not functional for us long term, and we needed a better way to service our customers. And we saw all retailers quickly pivot to online curbside pickup, and we are no different.
Gwendolyn Glenn: And at that time, too, there was a shortage that was happening as well, and retailers shelves were bare in some places. Did that have something to do with this as well?
Walton: Oh, yeah. Just getting product from point A to point B was a challenge. Getting product in and on the shelves, that was a secondary and tertiary kind of thing, but the principal driver was: How do we better serve our customer?
Glenn: Well, how is this going to work? Explain.
Walton: Yeah, you download that app and it will, of course, ask you: Are you of legal age to be using that app for spirits? You log in, you sign up, you download the app, and you gain access like any other online shopping portal.
It is divided by categories, so you would, if you're shopping for American whiskey and you would pick that category and you enter the product search. And there are photos of those products on the web. So, it really is like a virtual walk through our stores.
Glenn: How do you know if the store around the corner or down the block has what you're looking for?
Walton: It does actually ask you which store and then that inventory for that store is on that app at that time.
Glenn: OK, so you've made your selection, you've decided which store. What happens from that point?
Walton: You put it in the cart, pay for it like you would any other online retail portal, and you check out. You will receive a message that your purchase has been received, and you will be notified when your purchase is ready.
Glenn: So when you go to the store, do you have to wait in line?
Walton: We have very bold signs that says "ABC To Go pick up here." You're going straight to the desk and giving your name and your ID — and that's very important for people to understand. There's going to be a verification. You don't get past that. The person who made the purchase online has to be the person who picks it up.
Glenn: OK, you can't send somebody to pick up for you.
Walton: No, don't send your auntie. If you ordered it, you need to come. You need to bring your ID because, again, people forget spirits is a highly addictive substance. We saw during the pandemic the negative effects of addiction, particularly on our young people. Yes, we take that very, very seriously.
Glenn: Now, what hours can this be done?
Walton: The cutoff at this point is 7 p.m. The store doesn't open til 11 a.m., and so the fulfillment would be sometime between 11:00 a.m. and 7 p.m. And all orders that are not picked up by 7 p.m. get returned back to inventory.
Glenn: How do you keep up with what's there and what's not, and how quickly would the consumer know whether or not that particular item is available?
Walton: We've upgraded our computing platform so that it’s much more seamless. When that bottle is checked out, it isn't showing up on "ABC To Go" or our website, And, you know, let's be honest, there are always glitches. It's not always 100%, but I feel confident that it is a much more robust system that is more real-time.
Glenn: At one point we did a story about a lot of online illegal shipments being delivered to people in North Carolina. Do you think having a system like this will cut down on some of that illegal shipping from out-of-state?
Walton: Well, you know, I am hopeful that as it gets more exposure to more people, the opportunity will lessen of going to those other platforms.
Glenn: Well, let me ask you this, for people who do not drink who hear that, you know, you've put all of this effort into this. How do you make the connection between what you do and benefits to the community, especially for people who don't drink at all?
Walton: A big part of our business model really is investing back into the community. We are legally required to make investments in alcohol education and public safety. So that's one bucket of benefits. We don't keep profits, and so we invest in — and have been for 75 years — the city of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and the public libraries.
So our investments in city and county libraries in (fiscal year) '23 was over $20 million; alcohol education, that was over $10 million; law enforcement safety, $4 million. And so, when you talk about putting back into the community, that's one of the tremendous benefits of the system that we have and the work that we get to do here in Mecklenburg County — and that is to pour back into community and people.
