Compare Online Liquor Stores in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Big Barrel, Whisky and More, Liquorland, Super Liquor and Bottle-O 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 Big Barrel and Whisky and More, the joint winners 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 426 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.
Big BarrelIn the four years since the inception of our Online Liquor Stores award, Big Barrel has always placed in the top three. It won our inaugural award in 2021, came third the next year, second in 2023 and this year it comes in joint first place, earning a great set of ratings from its many happy customers. Across the board, in all but one category, it earns fantastic 5-Star ratings. And for Range of Products, it scores a great 4-Star approval rating.
Big Barrel is 100% NZ family owned and operated, and has grown from a single store in Napier to 48 stores nationwide. Its online offering provides two options: shop your local Big Barrel (online) and click and collect, or shop from Big Barrel’s full range, direct from its warehouse, and have your order delivered to your door.
Whisky and MoreThe winner of last year’s prestigious award, Whisky and More takes out a joint first-place result in this year’s ratings. The brand achieves a sweep of 5-Star results across the board, except for Value for Money, for which it earns an admirable 4-Star rating.
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 and cuts out the middleman to deliver the best products directly to NZ consumers at the best prices.
Whisky and More’s aim is to provide its thirsty 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 five categories, including for Overall Satisfaction. It scores its lowest rating, 3-Stars, for Value for Money.
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 Flybuys or Airpoints Dollars.
It’s worth noting that not all Liquorland stores offer delivery, although most provide a click and collect service.
Super Liquor earns two 4-Star ratings, for Overall Satisfaction and Layout of Website. Across all other categories it earns admirable 3-Star ratings. It’s worth noting that while not a top rating, 3 Stars is by no means a measure of consumer dissatisfaction. Rather it shows that Super Liquor’s customers are content with the levels of satisfaction delivered by their choice of online liquor store.
Super Liquor has been around since the 1970s, so you know there is decades of experience behind the brand. Operating over 180 stores nationwide, Super Liquor offers a huge range of products, ready for you to pick up at your convenience, or have delivered.
Bottle-O rounds out our award results, earning a clean sweep of 3-Star ratings across all categories. Despite Bottle-O not scoring above 3-Stars in any category, it’s clear that its customers are satisfied with the levels of service and range of products on offer.
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.
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.
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 $5.50 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. North Island deliveries cost $6.99 per order. Mainland deliveries are $8.99 per order. And if your order is more than $200, you only pay $1 for delivery. Note: there is 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. However, customer service is still important, even if you’re not dealing with in-person humans.
Relative Price (the price of a product compared to a competitor’s price on the same item) comes in second. However, the fact that value for money isn’t rated too highly by our consumers is perhaps an indication of their opinion’s towards alcohol: that it’s a luxury rather than a necessity.
Overall, here’s how the consumers in our survey rank the main things they consider when rating their choice of online liquor store:
This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Caitlin Bingham. Caitlin is an experienced writer whose passion for creativity led her to study communication and journalism. She began her career freelancing as a content writer, before joining the Canstar team.
Try more varied drinks online: 29%
Affected by online offers: 28%
Drink more if the alcohol is there: 27%
Buy more alcohol online than in the past: 26%
Buy higher quality alcohol online than would in a store: 23%
Buy most of alcohol online: 23%
Tend to buy more online than would in a physical store: 22%
Feel guilty about the amount of alcohol they consume: 12%
Are a member of an online wine club: 12%
Canstar Blue surveyed 2577 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. 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, 426 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:
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