Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 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

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
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
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
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
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×