With the growing concern of Covid (Omicron), Home delivery will prevent crowding at retail outlets, save jobs, minimise industry disruption, limit spurious and counterfeit products
Bengaluru, December 31, 2021: The International Spirits & Wines Association of India (ISWAI), the apex body of the premium AlcoBev sector, strongly urges the state government of Karnataka to consider and implement home delivery of liquor against the growing concern of Covid (Omicron). The current festive months are the peak consumption period for the industry, and regularising/formalising of home delivery will ensure minimal disruption to the industry, ensure citizen convenience, and also protect jobs whilst protecting state revenue from the alcobev industry.
Underlining the need to implement online liquor delivery, Ms. Nita Kapoor, CEO, International Spirits and Wines Association of India (ISWAI) pointed to a 2020 post-Covid lockdown Local Circles survey on “Consumer pulse on home delivery of liquor” that shows 52% of citizens of the 8,078 polled across the country wanting state administrations to implement a ‘home delivery solution’. The survey also reaffirms that majority of consumers of alcoholic beverages called out convenience & social distancing as the two most important reasons for ordering alcohol via home delivery.
The excise department figures available from the states of West Bengal and Maharashtra on the number of orders placed via home delivery of liquor during the pandemic validates the argument for home delivery. West Bengal recorded a total order count of 1.91 lakh home deliveries with a registered buyer count of around 1.5 lakh whereas Maharashtra recorded close to 60 lakh home deliveries between May 15, 2020, and March 31, 2021.
Ms. Kapoor further stated, “Given the demand among citizens in all the states, we believe that if the home delivery model is regularised with all the necessary regulations in place, going forward, this could become a potential channel for encouraging responsible drinking beside the growth of revenue for states”.
With the uncertainty of the new Omicron variant and fear of a growing number of cases in India, especially in Karnataka, most state governments are vigilant and announcing strict and prompt containment action at the local and district levels.
Ms. Kapoor emphasised that “Allowing home delivery to be included as a permanent feature of the excise policies of the states to cater to consumer demands and minimise industry disruptions during the covid surge.”
Mr. Suresh Menon, Secretary-General, ISWAI stated, “We request the state government to reinforce and frame standard home delivery norms to ensure that there’s no harassment from authorities and no delivery is done to underage consumers, addressing these concerns of licensed retailers as home delivery would make liquor buying convenient for the citizens of the state.”
Mr. Menon further added, “Allowing home delivery of liquor to continue will address the problem of the low retail density of AlcoBev outlets, which minimises the reach of brands, and will restrict the sale of counterfeit liquor through informal supply chains, curb underage consumption, that they otherwise lose to such illicit sellers. The revenue of the State Government would also be protected as only duty paid and genuine products will be sourced from licensed retailers and delivered by the retailers’ employees, or by their authorised agents.”
ISWAI is ready to partner with the states to build comprehensive regulations and safeguards, inculcating a practice of responsible consumption.
