Sales of wine, beer and spirits up 31 per cent (and hair clippers have sold out too)

Brits drink their way through lockdown: Sales of wine, beer and spirits up 31 per cent (and hair clippers have sold out too)

  • Boom means an additional £200million has been spent on alcohol in March
  • Grocery sales also accelerated to £10.8billion partially due to panic buying
  • Wine was the most popular lockdown drink, followed by lager, gin and whisky 

Wine, beer and spirits have been flying off the shelves as Britain’s pubs keep the shutters pulled down during lockdown. 

Sales have soared by 31.4 per cent in alcohol stores as supermarkets have seen a 10.3 per cent uptick, according to the Office for National Statistics March retail report.

Hair clippers have also sold out as hairdressers remain closed and online sales have reached their highest level ever, at 22.3 per cent of the market.

Grocery sales have reached £10.8billion, partially driven by panic buying, smashing the figures for Christmas which would be the busiest time under normal circumstances. 

Wine has proved to be the most popular drink of lockdown, followed by lager, gin and whisky. (Stock image)

The boom in alcohol sales means an additional £200million has been spent on drink, taking the monthly total to £1.1billion.

‘Those already missing their favourite haunts have been stocking up to recreate trips to the pub with friends over apps like Houseparty and FaceTime,’ said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar.  

Wine has been the most popular lockdown drink followed by lager, gin, whisky, craft beer and cider, according to research by CGA for the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.

The key drinkers are younger and male, the researchers said, which is a significantly different profile to the traditional customer. 

‘This interest in wine may be carried back into the pubs, bars and restaurants post-crisis via younger, urbanised, more male-orientated and – most importantly – more wine-literate drinkers,’ said Mark Newton, senior wine category development manager at CGA.

A closed pub pictured in Central London as all 47,000 remain closed due to coronavirus

A closed pub pictured in Central London as all 47,000 remain closed due to coronavirus

A shuttered pub in London as it is warned restrictions may remain in place until September

A shuttered pub in London as it is warned restrictions may remain in place until September

The data came amid warnings Britain’s 47,000 pubs could remain shut until at least September as politicians attempt to sort out the best way to lift the lockdown.

Hairclippers have also seen a spike in demand, with John Lewis seeing a 200 per cent rise in demand for all.

Po Lon Corrigan from the chain told The Sun: ‘We’ve seen unprecedented demand. We are working hard with suppliers to have new stock coming in on a regular basis.’

All hair clippers are also listed as out of stock on Boots and as running low on Argos.

The coronavairus outbreak has also seen sales of some products plummet, however, as people are no longer able to head into stores.

Clothing retail has plummeted 34.8 per cent while whole retail volume slipped by 5.1 per cent, the largest fall since the ONS started recording the figures.

Sales of furniture also tumbled 35 per cent while petrol sales declined 19 per cent as Britons took fewer journeys.

The latest blow to the high street has forced many businesses to the edge of the precipice, with Debenhams and BrightHouse filing for administration.

The government has attempted to shore up the sector by offering business rates holidays and 80 per cent of wages for furloughed workers.

However, the measures are not expected to prevent a further decline with many analysts now warning the lockdown may have changed consumer behaviour.  

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