Business Review: BoozeRun
Iraq is witnessing a period of online marketing and technological innovation; those two factors have served as cue for the expansion of the Iraqi startup scene to the global startup market. We at Bite.Tech have been meeting with some of those startup projects and business in the country, one of the latest we have reviewed across is BoozeRun247. Boozerun247 is an app that allows customers to order alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages via an app almost 24 hours a day, every day of the week in Erbil.
How the Idea was Formed:
BoozeRun247 is founded by Charles Younes. Charles Younes is an engineer of Lebanese and Canadian origins who has lived in Erbil for the past 4 years. He moved to Ebril to find opportunities to work in the field of construction and design. Aside from being an Engineer, Charles has a keen interest in the Food and Beverages industry. Whilst in Erbil, he established a Lebanese restaurant called Fuul w Hummus. After establishing his restaurant, Charles studied the Food and Beverages market in Iraq, and noticed a gap in the sale of alcohol to private customers. Most liquor stores in Erbil are mostly located in one area, and all close by 8:00 PM. In order to fill the gap, Charles decided to establish a business that will deliver alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, chips, etc to consumers 24/7.
Where it was Developed and How it Works:
The plan for creating BoozeRun247 was put into action 6 months ago. The application was developed in 3 months by a team from Germany. BoozeRun247 has been in business for three months now. Each on-call operations team at BoozeRun247 is made up of six employees, two operators, and four delivery drivers. At the moment BoozeRun247 is only available in Erbil, however Charles has plans of expanding to other Iraqi provinces.
The application is simple and user friendly; available for both Apple and Android. Once you have an account you can make your order. Ordering is straight forward from the items list, once you have specified your order, time of delivery, and location your bill will pop up on the screen. You will also receive a call from the operator to confirm your order within minutes. If a customer does not answer the call the order will be canceled. The delivery charge ranges from $4 to $20 depending on the customer’s location. All payments are made upon delivery in cash.
BoozeRun247 provides its customers with regular offers and they are also working on a loyalty scheme to reward frequent customers. Charles ensures to work only with genuine distributors to avoid dealing with poor or fake products. BoozeRun247 is privately funded, since Charles says it is very difficult for an expat to receive sponsorships, or loans from banks in the country.
Privacy:
Due to the nature of the business, BoozeRun247 has very strict terms of privacy. The data for customer information is available only to Charles himself. Employees at BoozeRun247 have to sign a confidentiality agreement before starting employment to insure that customers’ private data is kept safe.
Items are delivered in discreet paper bags and drivers have no brand markings to give customers total confidentiality. Again, more signs of showing business awareness for the local society and culture.
Difficulties and challenges:
One of the main challenges that Charles faced when launching this business was marketing and staffing. In the interview with us he mentioned he could not find local people to develop his application, so he was forced to take his business overseas. When addressing the marketing issue he said that he couldn’t find avenues other than Facebook to advertise for his business.
Future Plans:
Charles is planning on expanding his business throughout Iraq. The next expansion will be in Suliamniyah. He is also working on other projects that would work the same way as BoozeRun247, it makes sense to use his current logistical infrastructure.
Charles’s Advice:
We need to work on expanding the startup scene in Iraq because startups and digital businesses are the future of employment, and Iraq needs be a part of that future. By taking part in this international revolution, Iraq would improve its position in the international scene.
We at Bite.Tech wish BoozeRun247 all the success, and are looking forward to reviewing this business at a later stage.