It was most unexpected tsunami that the 460 odd wine shops in Greater Hyderabad was hit in recent times. But it also brought in a windfall of nothing short of ₹20-crore in flat six hours on Tuesday.
Minutes after the lockdown announcement, a section of the people devoted all their energies to buy their choicest liquor. From 3 pm till 8 pm on Tuesday it was mad rush at the liquor outlets. On Wednesday, too people could be seen waiting from 6 am onwards for the wine stores to open.
“As it is the night curfew had hit our business so hard. Usually, the peak time for sale is 7 pm to 9 pm. With the restrictions in place, our revenue had dropped in the last three weeks to 50%. But, yesterday was unexpected flood of customers,” said a wine shop owner in Secunderabad.
A wine shop licencee said on an average each outlet generates a sale of between Rs 4-5 lakhs daily during normal times. The COVID-19 too had hit the business.
If a former trade body representatives are to be believed, one particular super liquor mall in the City selling premium brands raked in a revenue of ₹3-crore alone in few hours.
Four-hour morning relaxation is of no use to the liquor outlets in the Twin Cities. “May be a few hundreds of labourers and others might make a beeline to the shops in the morning hours. For the shops located in prime areas, it is unusual for well to do family members coming and buying liquor between 6 am and 10 am,” a wine shop dealer wishing anonymity said.
The licensees are a confused lot on how to get the stocks delivered after the lockdown timings begin. They are worried that their staff can not venture out after 10 am or stay put in the shops, which are closed.
In the meantime, a senior official of the Telangana State Beverages Corporation Limited said lockdown will not be applicable to the depots which will function at usual timings. “Arrangements are made to despatch stocks from depots from 4 am onwards. Licensees can bill the stocks which shall be unloaded at their premises between 6 am and 10 am,” the order said.
An TSBCL Depot Manager said they had indent to supply stocks to 26 outlets today. “Except for some wine shops, none of the bar and restaurants in our limits placed orders,” he said.