The demand for alcoholic beverages saw a spike in the sales-volume of almost unbelievable proportions.
As liquor stores closed up shop, with a stay at home mandates going into effect, people panic-bought their favorite booze in droves.
Overall the sales of alcoholic beverages rose an astounding 55% in the week ending March 21st. Nielsen market research says spirits like tequila, gin and other liquor used in cocktail jumped 75%. Wine sales went up 66% and beer jumped 42%.
And online sales of alcohol shot into the stratosphere, 243% as people loaded up their wet bars and liquor cabinets.
But did it really happen? One local businessman in the Liquor trade says yes, but there were reasons and exceptions.
“People had just got spooked by what the media says and everybody thought everything was going to close down so everybody was bulk buying,” says the owner of Ricky’s Discount Liquors in Kenner. “That’s why we had a big, big increase when everybody was going around buying toilet paper like crazy.”
Ricky says the panic buying ultimately leveled off.
“Other than that it’s normal, everything’s pretty stable,” he says. “[Sales] have gone up a little bit, because everybody is home, people got nothing to do, pretty much, its the only thing keeping people normal right now.”
Since Ricky’s business is discounted prices on liquor, he holds his profit margin as tight as possible to pass as many savings on to his customers.
“Now it’s back to steady, you got a little bit above average because you got a lot of people who aren’t working right now,” Ricky says. “But overall it took that one to two weeks you had that big, big increase. And now it's back to normal because people were scared. They don’t know if they were able to get something out of their corner store.”
Dealing with the coronavirus mandates, closing at specific hours and having to implement new cleanliness protocols, have changed the way Ricky does business. And for the better according to him.
“It sucks for everybody right now, man,” He laments. “Thank God my business is not affected by it. I’m thankful for it, but, man you’ve got to feel for everybody right now, I can’t wait for it to go back to normal. Everybody goes back to their day to day job, day to day living.”
