Soon, premium liquor to be sold at retail vends in Noida, Ghaziabad malls
Ghaziabad:
Ghaziabad:
Shopping malls in Noida and Ghaziabad will soon house retail vends selling premium brands of liquor, as the state cabinet on Saturday approved the ‘Uttar Pradesh Excise (Settlement of Licences for Premium Retail Vends of Foreign Liquor) Rules, 2020’.
As per the new rules, high-end brands of alcohol can also be sold in departmental stores and supermarkets, as are available in cities like Gurugram. Currently, foreign liquor is sold in retail stores and model shops having licence from the excise department.
“We expect that the arrangement may start within the next two months as malls are still closed due to the lockdown. We are waiting for the lockdown to get over and also have to finalise the license fees. Thereafter, we will see how the new arrangement rolls out. The retail vends will not sell all liquors, but only certain categories of foreign liquor. The consumption on the premises of the liquor vend will not be allowed,” said Sanjay R Bhoosreddy, principal secretary of UP excise department.
According to officials, the premium retail vends can sell imported liquor brands, Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) brands of scotch or above category, all categories of brandy, gin and wine, besides brands of vodka and rum with MRP more than Rs 700. Such vends can also sell high-end brands of beer with MRP more than Rs 160 per can (of 500ml or equivalent).
The liquor vends given licences will give choice and provide access to wide variety of liquor brands both Indian and imported to the consumer besides giving a better shopping experience.
“The rules have been framed for allowing sale of premium brands of liquor in malls as there is an increasing trend of shopping in malls. We have malls in Lucknow, Kanpur, and NCR cities like Noida and Ghaziabad, among others, in the state. Licences in form FL-4C will be granted for retail sale of foreign liquor in sealed bottles in malls. So, we are optimistic that the trend of sale of alcohol from liquor vends will pick up,” Bhoosreddy said.
According to the new rules, the malls in which such liquor vends can open should have a minimum plinth area of 10,000 square feet, and it includes departmental stores, supermarkets or hybrid supermarkets. Besides, the premium retail vend should have at least 500 square feet carpet area and provide customers the facility to walk in and select the choice of brand from the shelves. Such shops need to be air conditioned with well decorated shelves so that various brands can be displayed under a systematic layout plan.
