Saucey

Market position

Saucey competes in the on-demand alcohol delivery category alongside Drizly (acquired by Uber in 2021 for $1.1 billion and shut down in March 2024), Thirstie and Nestdrop, and against broader delivery platforms consolidating alcohol into general marketplaces such as Uber Eats. It has positioned itself as an independent operator focused on unit economics in dense alcohol-consumption markets. As of 2022 it served 19 states and over 1,000 cities.

Saucey has emphasized operational depth over rapid geographic sprawl: rather than pursuing 50-city rollouts urged by early investors, the founders focused on dominating the roughly ten states where most alcohol consumption occurs, market by market. Leadership has said this operational focus made Saucey profitable in each city it serves. The founders personally completed more than 1,000 deliveries to inform the design of the logistics platform, and continued doing deliveries to understand the courier and customer experience. The company has also positioned itself as an independent alcohol delivery operator that remained in the market after competitor Drizly was shut down by Uber in 2024.

Technology

Saucey runs a logistics platform and consumer mobile applications for iOS and Android plus a web storefront, which route orders to a network of couriers who source from local retail stores. The platform's design drew on the founders' first-hand delivery experience, and the company has invested in backend optimization to raise deliveries per courier hour, reduce delivery times and personalize the shopping experience.

Go-to-market

Saucey reaches consumers directly through its website and mobile apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play, with delivery availability determined by the customer's address. Marketing has included promotional discount codes (for example, a code offering $5 off aimed at former Drizly users) and celebrity-linked awareness, with entertainment-industry figures among its early angel investors. The company works with local retail partners as supply, and at one point some partners derived more than 40 percent of their revenue from Saucey orders.

Consumers in the United States buying alcohol, tobacco, mixers and party supplies for at-home consumption, office deliveries, parties and gifting, including celebrity customers using delivery to avoid public purchases.

Geography

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with service across the United States. Early markets were Los Angeles, then San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento and Chicago; East Coast markets including New York City and Washington, D.C. were added between 2018 and 2020, and New Jersey in November 2022. By late 2022 the service covered 19 states and more than 1,000 cities.

History

Founded in Los Angeles in 2013 by Chris Vaughn, Daniel Leeb and Andrew Zeck, Saucey launched its mobile app in October 2013 serving the Los Angeles area. It was self-funded initially, raising a $4.5 million seed round in September 2015 after expanding to San Diego, San Francisco and Chicago, followed by a $5.4 million Series A in 2017. Between 2018 and 2020 the company expanded to East Coast markets including New York City and Washington, D.C., and saw a demand increase during the early COVID-19 pandemic, when it added no-contact delivery and widened its assortment. In October 2020, Saucey merged with cannabis delivery company Emjay to form parent company Pacific Consolidated Holdings, with Vaughn becoming CEO of the parent. By late 2022 Saucey served 19 states and more than 1,000 cities, launching in New Jersey in November 2022, and it continued operating independently through 2024 following the shutdown of rival Drizly.

Risks & controversies

Saucey operates in the regulated alcohol and nicotine retail categories, where delivery is governed on a state-by-state basis, and the market has proven volatile - competitor Drizly was shut down by its acquirer in 2024, partly following a cybersecurity breach and subsequent FTC order. Larger platforms consolidating alcohol delivery into general-purpose apps represent competitive pressure.