SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) — The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic brought on a multiple of changes, from how we go to school, how we work and how we interact with others; but it also brought on a booze buying frenzy that shocked local experts.
Studies show the change wasn't only remarkably sudden, but aggressive as alcohol sales shot up a staggering 54% within the first month lockdown orders were enacted across the nation.
Ashley Price, the former owner of the Holiday Market in Royal Oak when the pandemic first broke out in March 2020, told WWJ's Zach Clark that the strong demand was felt swiftly in the local market; everything he had in stock went flying off the shelves almost immediately.
"We saw the sales go to unheard of levels right away," he said. "Within a week we were selling more products than, really, we had sold in a single week in a few years."
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Price said every week brought in record-setting sales with no signs of tapering down. Cases of beer, bottles of liquor, and every type of wine couldn't come in fast enough to keep up with customer demand.
The 'out-of-this-world' alcohol sales was only the start of an even bigger phenomena.
The way people bought and consumed alcohol in Michigan also changed as COVID ravaged the state and people turned to booze to deal with pandemic lockdowns and restrictions.
Join WWJ's Zach Clark as he speaks to three local experts about how the coronavirus reshaped our drinking patterns.
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