Durst

Durstexpress GmbH operated as an online beverage delivery service within Germany, functioning as a strategic entity of the Oetker Group, a major German conglomerate. Founded in 2017, the company was established to enter the rapidly growing quick commerce market for drinks, a segment seeing significant consumer interest. Durstexpress was essentially created to compete directly with the market's first mover, Flaschenpost.

The business model was centered on convenience, allowing customers to order a variety of beverages through a dedicated website or mobile application. The service facilitated the entire process from order to delivery, including managing payments and the German bottle deposit return system (Pfand). Upon order placement, the system would suggest available delivery windows, and the fulfillment was handled by local beverage dealers. This B2B2C model leveraged existing local infrastructure to promise rapid delivery to the customer's doorstep.

The company's trajectory took a decisive turn in late 2020. The Oetker Group, its parent company, made a significant move by acquiring Flaschenpost for a reported one billion euros. This acquisition led to a strategic consolidation of Oetker's beverage delivery assets. In the months that followed, the decision was made to merge Durstexpress's operations into the more dominant Flaschenpost brand. Consequently, the Durstexpress name and standalone service were phased out as its warehouses and operations were progressively integrated into the Flaschenpost network.

Keywords: Durstexpress, Flaschenpost, Oetker Group, beverage delivery, online drinks, German startups, quick commerce, on-demand delivery, e-commerce, food and beverage, logistics, last-mile delivery, Radeberger Gruppe, B2B2C platform, grocery delivery, online supermarket, beverage logistics, consolidation, acquisition