In what could be a coincidence, exactly 45 days after sale of liquor was allowed amid COVID-19 outbreak, Telangana witnessed brisk sale of ₹45 crore on a single day on Wednesday.
All the 2,220 shops in the State opened to huge crowds of people to buy their choicest brands. Realising that the stocks would not last even till the evening, wine shop licensees rushed to the Telangana State Beverages Corporation Limited depots to get replenishment.
“While all the retailers had stock worth ₹45 crore prior to the lockdown, they purchased stocks worth ₹45 crore today alone in view of the rush,” said Dalavai Venkateswara Rao, president, Telangana Wine Dealers Association.
The liquor outlets expect the rush to continue till Sunday.
Due to server problem, the stocks could not be delivered to the licensees in certain cases as the depots closed around 5 p.m.
“The way people are buying liquor it is nothing short of panic buying. It looks as if there will be no sale tomorrow,” Mr. Rao said, pointing out that even brands which were not popular or new were off the shelves in no time. “We used to have certain brands and new products, which would not attract buyers. But today, even that brands vanished from the counters,” he said.
For the record, there are 19 TSBCL depots in the State, of which six are located in and around Hyderabad. All these depots have stocks that can last a month. The licensees are also watching the situation and are hopeful that they would get some clarity by Saturday on the trend that could continue in the days to come. The number of distilleries and breweries in Telangana stand at 18, of which 12 are distilleries and six breweries.
Mr. Rao said it was altogether a new experience for the liquor outlets in view of the lockdown and strict implementation of social distancing. “We ensured that all the shop employees took proper precautions. We also expect the customers also to respect social distancing. Police officers also did a very good job of controlling the huge crowds outside the shops,” he said.
