Sales of cigarettes and rose wine are rising in France, while the country in lockdown due to virus epidemic. The local supermarkets have reported an increase in March 2020 in comparison with the same period in 2019, The Local France said.
While the French people buy significantly less alcohol since the start of the nationwide lockdown, they preferred beer and rose wine. In fact, the lockdown has a great impact on considering, especially when it is about the essential goods, food and drinks.
In France, grocery stores and supermarkets remain open and there are no restrictions on buying alcohol to drink at home. Amid the nationwide lockdown, it looks logically.
Since lockdown has started two weeks ago, sales of alcohol overall fell by 16 percent, figures from sales body Neilson show. However, the closure of the country’s cafés and bars made people react. During two weeks, from March 13 to March 29, the four days before lockdown and 13 days afterwards – the sale of total consumer goods in France rose by 26 percent compared to the same period in 2019.
It is important to note that the French people are much less of the panic buying seen in the UK and US. But it seems that alcohol was not on people’s shopping lists and even the growing popularity of apéro Skype – online drinks with friends – doesn’t seem to have picked up sales of alcohol in supermarkets.
French supermarkets report on rising sells of rose wine, beer, cigarettes
Since March 13, sales of rose wine lifted by 3.2 percent – probably due to the pleasant warm weather – and beer by 6.9 percent.
At the same time, sales fell with champagne suffering the worst fall of 52.5 percent as people probably felt there was little to celebrate.
Sales at France’s tobacco also rose – by up to 30 percent. It is no surprise, in fact, the experts explain. In reality, that is in part accounted for by people no longer being able to travel over the border and get cheaper cigarettes.
“Beer has suffered less than other alcohols, but we are on a very low growth rate and not accelerating compared to the historical trends of recent years,” Jacques Lebel, chief for France of Ab InBev brewery, said.
