Test Purchasing of Same-Day and Rapid Online Alcohol Home Delivery in Two Australian Jurisdictions

With same-day online alcohol sales increasing, there is a need to study their regulation. Test purchasing of alcohol home delivery was conducted to measure compliance with regulations for identification checks and unattended deliveries in two Australian jurisdictions (Perth, Western Australia, and Geelong, Victoria), which have differing regulations.

Alcohol orders for same-day or rapid (<2 hours) delivery on Friday and Saturday nights were made by research assistants ages 18-24 years in Perth (n = 34) and Geelong (n = 29). An observation checklist was used to record the delivery interaction, with a specific focus on checking photo identification at the time of delivery and whether deliveries were left unattended.

The average time from order to delivery for rapid deliveries was less than 1 hour in both sites (Perth = 50 minutes; Geelong = 36 minutes). More than 20% of deliveries were made without an identification check in both sites (Perth = 24%; Geelong = 21%).

This pilot study showed that alcohol can be delivered to the home within 1 hour, and not all deliveries include an identification check at the point of delivery. These findings indicate a need for policies that empower regulators and police to undertake "mystery shopper" monitoring to reduce potential harms and improve compliance with alcohol delivery policy.