Wines and Spirits shop at Nairobi West shopping centre on September 7, 2020. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NMG advertisement Six months ago, revellers across the country were served a rude shock with the closure of bars and a ban on the sale of alcohol at restaurants as one of the measures to curb Covid-19.
This meant to get their daily, weekly, or monthly tipple, consumers had to change their buying habits, opting for home deliveries or a visit to the local wines and spirits outlets.
Overnight, wines and spirits (alcohol) outlets were cropping up at every corner, most next to or across where pubs are located.
In Nairobi’s Central Business District’s downtown area, there are rows of outlets near bus stops, some new, that have seen increased patronage as people pick up their drink on the way home.
Alcohol manufacturers and distributors saw a sharp decline in sales particularly on beer. However, the spirits segment has shown resilience as more people shift their consumption habits.
“Mainstream and value spirits remained resilient and registered 2 percent growth versus prior year as the category benefited from a shift of outlet consumption occasions to at-home consumption,” said East African Breweries (EABL) #ticker:EABL in its annual report for 2020.
EABL, however registered a 37 percent decline in net sales as the partial lockdown from March to June led to closure of bars and restaurants.
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“The second half decline was due to impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which saw containment measures implemented across East Africa from late March 2020,” said EABL in the report. A liquor store in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NMG Dial A Champagne, an online store dealing in premium booze, has witnessed an increase in the sales, especially in the higher end.
“People are drinking more, but at home. They are also buying higher end bottles to show off to their friends,” said a representative of the store.
The shift has also changed how the store deals with its customers. The management now keeps constant communication on new stock, offers for the day, personalised messages to individual clients based on their consumption patterns and demands.Alexandre Helaine, marketing manager East Africa for Moet Hennessy Africa and Middle East states that total volume went down but consumers are drinking up. More expensive tastes “Instead of drinking Hennessy VS in the club, our consumers are drinking Hennessy VSOP at home. This means more in […]
