Amazon to retail alcohol at last

America’s largest online retailer will add wine to its line-up of merchandise following its acquisition of Texas-based web business Woot.

The newly-acquired company, famed for its deal-a-day selling technique, includes a sector selling wine, called Wine Woot.

Amazon has been attempting to add wine to its line-up for some time, but was forced to abandon plans to operate Amazon Wine at the end of last year.

Blaming regulatory barriers to shipping alcoholic drinks within the US, Amazon had to stop the development of its wine arm, which was due to launch in October 2008.

While its decision to acquire Woot will provide Amazon with a wine business, it is not one in the manner it originally intended – Woot offers a different discounted item each day in a notably cheeky manner, including the occasional sale of undisclosed items, dubbed “bag of crap”.

News of the Woot deal was quickly followed by the announcement that amazon.co.uk will be selling groceries in Britain alongside books, CDs, DVDs and other non-perishable goods.

The UK launch comes shortly after the company began offering fresh food and household products in Germany, the only other European market where it has introduced a grocery site so far, although the internet retailer sells an array of supermarket goods in the US.

Patrick Schmitt, 12.07.2010