Freebies on soon-to-expire imported stock hits sale of Indian-brewed beers

PANJIM: Liquor retailers have found themsleves trapped in a peculiar situation where they have takers for some imported beers far above buyers for the otherwise larger-selling brands. 

The stock of at least six different brands of beers, imported before the lockdown and expiring next month, is being sold quickly. The reason: attractive offers to consumers. While this sale brings a sense of respite to the dealers, what is bothering them is the lack of consumers for fresh stocks of other beer products.  

“We are in a unique situation. The factories (in Goa) have managed with their raw materials to manufacture two brands. These products sell regularly. They also have fresh stock but we are facing a major problem,” All Goa Liquor Traders Association president Dattaprasad Naik told Herald. 

He explained there are certain beers which are foreign imports, and other Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) which have their expiry in July and August. 

In a desperate bid to sell these products, liquor traders made lucrative offers of one free on every purchase, or even two free on a purchase of one, which increased sales of these beers, overtaking the sale of fresh stock of liquor manufactured in Goa. 

“These foreign and IMFL stock was procured by the dealers before the nationwide lockdown. It was meant to cater to the locals and tourists during the summer months but due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown, it did not. We have to exhaust these stocks as their expiry is in July and August,” Naik said adding, “Since these are being sold on lucrative offers, their prices are much lower than the other products. Hence, people are grabbing these offers.”

As the deals increased consumers for imported products, companies manufacturing fresh stock in Goa are facing the heat. 

Traders are also massively hit by almost zero takers for liquor priced at above Rs 500. “The stock is stuck with the dealers and distributors,” Naik said. 

In the prevailing crisis which could force some liquor traders to pull down their shutters, stores along the coastal belt are recording barely 5 per cent daily sale as the scene in the other places is also not encouraging, with the daily sale not recording more than 10 per cent of what it was earlier. Naik said traders are helping each other by buying stocks from outlets selling poorly to sell at other stores.

To bail the liquor traders of the problem and increase customers at bars and restaurants, the All Goa Hotels & Restaurant Association has been consistently appealing the government to allow operations of bars.