20% surge in sale of foreign liquor in Noida after shops reopen on May 4, beer sales drop

Noida: The city consumed more liquor after the model shops were reopened last month on May 4, with the excise department recording a 20% hike in foreign liquor sales

Noida: The city consumed more liquor after the model shops were reopened last month on May 4, with the excise department recording a 20% hike in foreign liquor sales in the month of May 2020 as compare to the same period last year.

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Officials said liquor worth ₹64.31 crore was sold in May 2020 as compared to ₹62.77 crore sold during the month of May in 2019, which works out to a 2.45% hike in the overall sales. The department officials said the profit came despite a 40% drop in the sale of beer and an 8% drop in the sale of county liquor.

Model shops were shut on March 25 in the wake of nationwide lockdown to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. They were reopened on May 4, with restrictive timings (which were extended to June as well) and limited stock, even as most shops remained closed as they were located in containment zone (area from where Covid-19 cases were reported).

“More revenue was generated in May even as the sale of beer and country liquor fell. That was because the sale of foreign liquor surged by 20% and made up for the low sale of from beer and country liquor,” RB Singh, district excise officer, Gautam Budh Nagar, said.

“There is no clear reason as to why there was a spurt in the sale of foreign liquor,” Singh said.

However liquor vend owners believe that the spike in foreign liquor sales was mainly due to the availability fact or -- since stocks of Indian-made foreign liquor and beer were low, people had no option but to buy the more expensive foreign liquor brands.

“We are seeing more customers from Noida and Greater Noida buying foreign liquor as compared to earlier months. These people earlier used to purchase liquor from Delhi. However, with the lockdown and sealed borders, residents started buying from the local shops,” Ashok Yadav, a liquor shop owner in Greater Noida, said.

Officials attributed the reduction in the customer base of beer to bars, colleges and IT companies remaining closed due to the pandemic. They said there were no directions from the state government as yet on the opening of bars.

“A number of migrant labourers also went back home, and they are the major customers for country liquor,” Singh said.

Of total ₹64.31 crore generated, ₹16.34 crore was generated in May through the sale of county liquor.

Meanwhile, the excise department expects sale to pickup once more as adequate stock have reached liquor vends and more shops are reopening in the city.

“The total number of liquor shops in the district is 520 and of this, 22 are in containment zones and thus closed while rest are all functional,” Singh said.