Gopuff announced a pair of recent acquisitions that will bring it stronger positioning in the delivery and convenience retailing industries as consumers have begun to expect retail service to come to them. Gopuff has entered into an agreement to acquire delivery tech company rideOS as well as Liquor Barn, one of Kentucky’s leading independent chains of beer, wine and liquor stores.
As Gopuff launches in more complex and high-density cities, accelerates geographic expansion and enters into new verticals, rideOS’ proprietary technology and team of industry-leading experts will enable Gopuff to innovate faster, power multi-modal deliveries, and continually reduce delivery times to continue to deliver a best-in-class customer experience.
An enterprise start-up, rideOS builds cutting-edge proprietary technology for advanced routing, on-demand dispatch and fleet optimization for the fast-growing delivery and logistics industries.
“RideOS is among the best mapping, dispatching and routing technology firms in the industry and we are thrilled to have them lead innovation in key sectors for Gopuff,” said Sharad Sundaresan, Gopuff’s senior VP of product and growth. “This investment will enable Gopuff to continually improve the customer experience in more complex geographies as we lead and define the Instant Needs category worldwide.”
Gopuff and rideOS are each currently seeking senior software engineers focused on optimization, routing, and maps, backend engineers, product managers, data scientists and product designers in Berlin, San Francisco and Pittsburgh.
The acquisition of Liquor Barn from private equity firm Blue Equity provides Gopuff with access to Liquor Barn’s valuable infrastructure, established customer base and unique product assortment. It further accelerates Gopuff’s scale and cements its leadership in the instant needs category.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Liquor Barn, an incredible brand and team with loyal customers, as we bring the Gopuff experience to new customers across Kentucky,” said Gopuff’s Senior VP of Business Daniel Folkman. “This acquisition brings two customer-focused brands together to introduce new products and experiences while rapidly accelerating Gopuff’s geographic footprint in the region as we continue our expansion.”
The acquisition significantly accelerates Gopuff’s expansion in Kentucky and provides more customers in the state – including more than 80% of Louisville and Lexington residents – with access to immediate delivery of everyday items, including baby and pet products, cleaning supplies, over-the-counter medicine, food and alcohol, along with local favorites.
The deal uniquely positions Gopuff to support Kentucky’s bourbon industry and its thousands of employees by working with distributors to expand access to products nationwide — and introduce products to new customers within the state via instant delivery.
The Liquor Barn, Party Mart and DEP’s footprint of 23 stores provides infrastructure for Gopuff to integrate into its network of micro-fulfillment centers. Gopuff and Blue Equity will work in partnership to integrate Liquor Barn’s customer loyalty, talent, industry expertise, and convenient locations with Gopuff’s assortment of everyday essentials and technology-enabled instant delivery.