Delhi liquor stores witness mad rush over this weekend. Here's why

Many liquor shops in Delhi were selling foreign liquor at heavily discounted rates on Saturday.

Liquor shops in Delhi witnesses a sudden rush on Saturday as vendors were offering discounts of up to 35 per cent to increase the sale of foreign liquor in the national capital. The discounted prices thrilled tipplers, so much so that in some areas the police had to be called to disperse the huge commotion outside the alcohol stores.

A man carries a box of liquor after purchasing it from a store as prices of liquor were reduced in view of the Delhi Government's new excise police on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

Liquor stores in several parts of the city, including Jahangirpuri, Shahdara and Mayur Vihar, offered up to 35 per cent discount on certain IMFL brands.

With the introduction of the new excise policy in November last year, liquor stores in Delhi are under pressure to exhaust their stock by the end of March as their licenses will be renewed in the new financial year.

As a result, liquor shop owners are giving heavy discounts to increase sales and people have been buying in large quantities due to the rate cut.

"There are also certain brands that have not picked up sale and retailers want to dispose them off through discounts and special offers like 'buy one, get one free'," said a liquor vend employee in East Delhi.

"The rush was more in stores located closer to border towns in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh due to competition among retailers there to attract more customers," a senior excise department officer told news agency PTI.

Several other factors, including social distancing norms in liquor stores, wedding season and the weekend were also behind the long queues, he said.