Third-party delivery platforms have evolved from simple meal delivery services into sophisticated, multi-category logistics networks. In Australia and New Zealand, major players like Uber Eats, DoorDash, Menulog, and Delivereasy have aggressively expanded into the liquor and grocery sectors. They offer marketplace ordering and last-mile delivery that cater directly to convenience-driven shoppers.
For liquor and grocery retailers, this shift presents both a significant opportunity and a complex challenge. In 2025, the key questions are:
- How do we best participate in these powerful new channels?
- Where should we draw the line to maintain control over our range, pricing, and brand?
- How can we integrate on-demand delivery into our existing store workflows without disrupting operations?
The On-Demand Delivery Market in 2025
1. More Than Meals: The Rise of Convenience
Meal delivery platforms are now established marketplaces for convenience items, groceries, and bottled liquor. This expansion is supported by rapid delivery windows and mandatory ID verification for age-restricted goods, making them a one-stop shop for modern consumers.
2. The Need for Speed (and Accuracy)
Shopper expectations are at an all-time high. Customers demand near-instant delivery, transparent and accurate ETAs, and real-time stock information, whether they are on a marketplace app or your own website.
3. The Margin Squeeze
Marketplace commissions, delivery fees, and marketing costs directly impact your unit economics. Retailers must carefully weigh the massive reach of these platforms against the benefits of margin retention and owning first-party customer data.
4. Navigating Compliance
Liquor delivery in Australia and New Zealand comes with strict legal requirements for age verification, processes for refusing service, and detailed record-keeping. Responsibility for a compliant handover is shared between the platform and the retailer.
The Two Models: Marketplace vs. First-Party Ecommerce
Retailers have two primary models for engaging with on-demand delivery. Understanding the trade-offs is crucial.
| 1. Marketplaces (Order on their App) | 2. First-Party Ecommerce (Order on your Site) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it Works | Customers find and order from your store on the Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Menulog app. A platform courier handles the delivery. | Customers order on your website. Delivery is fulfilled by an integrated courier like Uber Direct or DoorDash Drive. |
| Audience Reach | Instantly tap into a large, app-native audience in your delivery radius. Excellent for discovery and incremental orders. | You are responsible for driving traffic to your site via your own marketing channels (email, social media, local ads). |
| Customer Data | The platform owns the customer relationship and all behavioural data. Communication is handled through the app. | You own all customer data, enabling direct communication, loyalty programs, and personalised marketing. |
| Control & Branding | Your store operates under platform rules for merchandising, pricing, and customer service. Your brand is secondary. | You have full control over your brand experience, pricing, promotions, content, and service policies. |
| Margins | Margins are reduced by commissions, marketing fees, and paid ad placements. | Costs are typically lower for medium-to-large baskets. You set your own delivery fees to manage profitability. |
| Service & Support | Customer service, refunds, and issue resolution are managed by the marketplace's help desk. | Your team handles all customer service, including refunds, replacements, and post-purchase communication. |
The Myfoodlink Solution
Myfoodlink provides a single, centralised platform to manage both marketplace listings and first-party ecommerce, eliminating the need to juggle multiple systems.
- Unified Commerce Platform: Manage your entire catalogue, pricing, compliance flags, and stock levels from one place. Product data flows from your POS, is enriched for ecommerce, and is then published seamlessly to your website and chosen marketplaces.
- Seamless Marketplace Integration: Publish your catalogue to Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Menulog. Set channel-specific pricing, control which products are listed, and have completed sales written back directly to your POS for perfect stock and sales accuracy.
- Flexible, Integrated Fulfilment: Offer click & collect, scheduled local delivery, and on-demand delivery in a single checkout. Dispatch orders to couriers like Uber Direct, DoorDash Drive, Sherpa, and Shippit, with real-time tracking for customers.
- Built-in Liquor Compliance: Automatically flag age-restricted products, enforce checkout prompts, and pass clear instructions to drivers for ID-verified handovers and refusals, ensuring you meet local requirements.
- Centralised Group Management: For multi-store operations, set shared product data, and imagery, at a group level, while allowing individual stores to manage local ranges and fulfilment.
Frequently asked questions
With Uber Direct and DoorDash Drive, the customer orders on your website. While the driver network is the same, you control the digital storefront, promotions, customer data, and service policies. It acts as a delivery-only integration, not a full marketplace listing.
Yes, and this is the recommended strategy for most retailers. Myfoodlink is designed for this hybrid approach. You can use marketplaces like Uber Eats and DoorDash for customer acquisition, while driving your loyal customers to your own website for better margins and direct engagement. Our platform centralises everything: you manage one master product catalogue, and we publish it to all your channels.
Myfoodlink gives you precise control over your marketplace pricing. Within our platform, you can apply a specific price markup or add a fee to products sent to marketplaces. This allows you to strategically offset commission costs on a per-item basis, ensuring you can maintain profitability while still benefiting from the platforms' reach.