The UK Saw Massive Rise In Alcohol Deliveries Under Lockdown.
Now we are seeing an easing up of lockdown restrictions and taking the first steps back to normality, many are reflecting on how their lives have changed during the crisis. Inevitably, having to stay in led people to change how they shop. Many have amended their eating and drinking habits and how they get access to alcohol. Throughout the crisis, booze and takeaway sales have increased considerably as people, unable to go out, brought the party indoors. Some Corner Shops introduced alcohol deliveries for the first time. Supermarkets also saw an increase in demand for online orders of booze beign delivered directly to homes.
Consumer Behaviours Change
Kantar, the data and evidence agency, monitored the grocery market and customer tastes and found that, in May, sales of alcohol from supermarkets rose by around half when compared to 12 months ago. Take home sales from grocery stores in the UK have grown by over one in ten since March, the quickest increase in over twenty-five years. In the month leading up to the middle of May, sales in shops rose even more… by over 17%. During the same period, the online market saw an even greater upsurge, amounting to an incredible 75% increase. It’s estimated that, in May, around 20% of UK households purchased their shopping online.
Worries about over-indulging at home.
However, it is not only shopping for groceries which has grown during lockdown. As more and more people, unable to go to pubs, cafés or restaurants, look to replicate the experience at home. It seems staying in has truly become the new going out, as people order in food and alcohol on a massive scale. This may make it easier to binge drink at home in private. The coronavirus response has not only altered how we order groceries, but also how and where we shop. In the past few weeks, food industry observers believe customers are not going to shops or supermarkets as often. One of the reasons cited is to avoid long queues. Therefore, consumers are buying groceries in greater amounts and stocking up on food to reduce need to go out again. According to research, people are buying half as much again than they would have before lockdown.
Longterm problems?
Stockpiling and panic or bulk-buying of some items may cause it’s own problems. Having large amounts of alcohol around in the home may be too tempting for some. However, free rehab advice is always available to you.
We have seen how lockdown has affected almost every aspect of our existence, from how we socialise, work, shop, dine and drink. We also know that the UK has experienced a record-breaking surge in alcohol deliveries. Nowadays, some feel they cannot survive without ordering booze and groceries online and wonder if the trend will continue when restrictions are finally lifted. Is it possible we have become so accustomed to ordering our food and drink online, we may never return to the supermarket? Has coronavirus changed how we shop forever? Will this have an impact on those with long term alcohol-related problems?
