Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Oct 01, 2025

Shoppers stockpile alcohol amid pubs shutdown

Shoppers stockpile alcohol amid pubs shutdown

The coronavirus pandemic has meant that British people have been forced to stay in to try to contain its spread.

And many are buying more alcohol to drink at home as a result.

Alcohol sales in supermarkets and corner shops jumped by 22% in March, according to consumer analysts Kantar.

Total sales of wine, beer and spirits topped £1.1bn in the four weeks to 22 March. An extra £199m was added compared with the same period in 2019.

Growth in sales of alcoholic drinks outstripped that of food purchases, even as customers stockpiled goods such as pasta or rice in preparation for having to self-isolate.

Online retailer Naked Wines said that more people were also ordering drinks for delivery. On Thursday, the company said that it now expected sales in 2020 to top existing forecasts, exceeding £200m.

English winemaker Chapel Down also recently toasted a surge in sales, due to the coronavirus-related lockdown.

It said that an increase in off-trade and online sales should compensate for losses seen because of the closure of pubs, bars and restaurants.

Elaine Hindal, chief executive of the charity Drinkaware, said that the rise in sales "isn't surprising", but cited concerns when it came to drinking during lockdown.

"Having alcohol available in homes, for many people, can be a source of temptation and lead to drinking without thinking," she said.

She added: "Small things can quickly turn into habits, like opening a bottle of wine in the afternoon when you normally wouldn't.

"It's important to remember that the more you drink, the more you increase your tolerance for alcohol, and over time, this can lead to dependency."


Sobering reports

Other drinks businesses have said, however, that they expect sales to slide as pubs and bars remain shut.

Guinness and Smirnoff owner Diageo, for example, said on Thursday that containment measures were "having a significant impact" on its performance.

Meanwhile, the boss of pub chain Wetherspoons previously said that the company had "no money coming in through the tills" of its 850 UK pubs.

The hospitality sector, the third largest employer in the UK, faces a huge challenge as potential customers stay away.

In a bid to help those affected, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a year-long business rates "holiday" for all retail, leisure and hospitality firms.


Shifting consumer mindset

Although online and off-trade sales might make up for some losses, some analysts have questioned whether that trend will continue.

Market research firm Mintel told the BBC that in its latest consumer survey, 20% of adults said they expected to spend less on alcohol over the next month.

Kiti Soininen, one of the firm's research directors, said: "While there was an early increase in retail sales of alcoholic drinks, this consumer mindset suggests that overall, the lockdown will hit the alcoholic drinks market."

She added: "A lot of that volume will just be completely lost from the market... [It] makes sense because food is a necessity, while alcohol is discretionary."

As disruption continues, some firms may be forced to shift their focus.

The Scottish craft brewer BrewDog, for example, started producing hand sanitiser last month amid shortages of the alcohol-based cleaner.

Its founder, James Watt, said that it had distributed 100,000 bottles made in its Aberdeenshire distillery to various charities.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
×