Compare Online Liquor Stores in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Whisky and More, Liquorland, Bottle-O, Big Barrel and Super Liquor were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Customer Service, Relative Price, Layout of Website, Range of Products and Value for Money.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Cheers! The drinks are on Whisky and More, the winner of Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers | Online Liquor Stores Award.
Our review compares online liquor stores on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared liquor retailers before you go ahead and make a purchase. Think of it like asking hundreds of your closest mates which online liquor stores they think are best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 441 Kiwis who had made a purchase from an online liquor store in the past six months and asked for their feedback on their purchases.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their online liquor stores from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Retail brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
This is the third year in a row that Whisky and More has taken home our Online Liquor Store Award. And it achieves its hat-trick with an immaculate set of 5-Star ratings across all our award categories.
The brand’s three wins in a row and perfect set of ratings are a clear indication that Whisky and More constantly delivers its customers great products, service and value.
As its name suggests, Whisky and More specialises in top single malts, Scottish blends and international whiskies. But it also stocks a full range of beers, wines and other spirits.
Established in 2010, Whisky and More has built an international network of suppliers to deliver products directly to NZ consumers at the best prices.
Whisky and More’s aim is to provide its Kiwi customers the best deals in the country. And given the retailer’s outstanding results in our awards over the past few years, it’s clear it’s delivering on its promise.
For orders of 1-12 bottles, across the North and South Islands, Whisky and More delivers for $4.99, or for free if your order is over $200.
Liquorland places second on our ratings table, and earns an impressive set of 4-Star ratings across all our award categories, including for Overall Satisfaction, Value for Money and Customer Service.
Liquorland is one of the most recognisable liquor stores in New Zealand. It boasts over 175 stores nationwide and stocks a huge range of products at competitive prices. It also offers its customers the opportunity to earn Airpoints Dollars.
It’s worth noting that not all Liquorland stores offer delivery, although most provide a click and collect service.
In third place, Bottle-O earns a great 4-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction. Its two 4-Star ratings, for Value for Money and Relative Price, reveal that Bottle-O customers rate the brand’s focus on value highly. Across all other categories, Bottle-O earns 3-Stars.
Bottle-O is an independently owned New Zealand liquor store brand. It offers a wide range of products, and its regular catalogues are full of great savings. Online, you can either click and collect, or have your order delivered. Note: some stores require a minimum order for delivery.
Big Barrel earns its highest ratings, 4 Stars, for Overall Satisfaction and Relative Price. Across all other categories, the online liquor store brand earns 3-Star ratings, which by no means is a measure of dissatisfaction. Rather a 3-Star rating indicates that Big Barrel customers are happy with their levels of consumer satisfaction.
Big Barrel is 100% NZ owned and operated, and has grown from a single store in Napier to 49 stores nationwide. Through its website it offers online-only deals, and runs a Mate Club, that offers exclusive tastings and discounts.
Rounding out our awards table, Super Liquor also earns a 4-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction. Across all other categories, it’s awarded 3 Stars, which reveals that Super Liquor’s customers are content with the levels of satisfaction delivered by their choice of online liquor store.
Founded in the 1970s, Super Liquor operates over 185 stores nationwide. It offers a huge range of products, ready for you to pick up at your convenience, or have delivered.
Not all online liquor stores in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are two more brands to check out before making a purchase decision.
Fine Wine Delivery specialises in fine wines from New Zealand and abroad, and stocks a huge variety of premier wines from around the world. However, it also offers a full range of spirits and craft beers, and a unique personalised subscription service.
It only has one retail store, based in Auckland’s eastern suburbs, so delivery is a must unless you live nearby. Fine Wine’s delivery charges vary depending on the size of your order. However, its current standard freight charges per case range from just $7.50 in central Auckland areas, through to $14.49 to rural parts of the South Island.
Vine OnlineVine Online is an online only liquor retailer that stocks wines, spirits, beers, ciders and non-alcoholic beverages. Its range of drinks covers products for all budgets, from cheap party plonk through to premier wines and spirits.
And Vine Online’s delivery prices are as just as sweet: $7 in Auckland, $9 across the North Island and $11 to the South Island. And if your order is more than $300, you only pay $3 for delivery. Note: a $40 minimum spend on standard deliveries.
One of the great things about shopping online for liquor is that you can sit and browse many different type of wines and spirits at your leisure, read their tasting reviews and discover new products. This is reflected by the most important factor when buying liquor online for those in our award survey: the Range of Products on offer, which is the No.1 factor for 27% of survey respondents.
However, Value for Money and Relative Price are also key factors, each the most important concern for just under a quarter (22%) of our consumers.
Overall, here’s how those in our survey rank the main things they consider when rating their online liquor stores:
Bruce Pitchers is Canstar NZ’s Content Manager. An experienced finance reporter, he has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in Australia, the UK and NZ, including ACP, Are Media, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. As a freelancer, he has worked for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority and major banks and investment companies on both sides of the Tasman.
In his role at Canstar, he has been a regular commentator in the NZ media, including on the Driven, Stuff and One Roof websites, the NZ Herald, Radio NZ, and Newstalk ZB.
Away from Canstar, Bruce creates puzzles for magazines and newspapers, including Woman’s Day and New Idea. He is also the co-author of the murder-mystery puzzle book 5 Minute Murder.
Try more varied drinks online: 27%
Buy higher quality alcohol online than would in a store: 23%
Tend to buy more online than would in a physical store: 22%
Buy most of alcohol online: 16%
Canstar Blue surveyed 2501 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by PureProfile. The outcomes reported are the results from respondents who had made a purchase from an online liquor store in the past six months. In this case, 441 New Zealanders. Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.
The past winners from Canstar Blue’s Online Liquor Stores ratings:
Best-Rated Online Liquor Stores - March 20th
What is Clubcard?
Clubcard is a loyalty program offered by the supermarket chain New World. It allows customers to earn either Flybuys, New World Dollars or Airpoints Dollars when shopping instore and online.
Clubcard members are eligible …
– Read more
Best-Rated Online Liquor Stores - March 11th
Do you know your soy milk from your flaxseed milk? Here is a guide to the different types of milk in your supermarket.
– Read more
What is Everyday Rewards?
Everyday Rewards is a loyalty program offered by the supermarket chain Woolworths. It allows customers to accumulate points on their purchases at Woolworths stores, when refueling at BP, using an ASB rewards …
What is a milk frother?
As the name suggests, a milk frother is a nifty gadget used to froth milk, typically to add to coffees and specialty drinks, such as frappés and even cocktails. It works …
Author: Michael Lund
Want to save money on groceries? Canstar has some great tips to provide relief at the check-out:
How to Save Money on Groceries
1. Make a weekly meal plan
One of the best ways to save …
– Read more