Hyderabad: Rising temperatures have outpaced the impact of beer price hikes in Telangana, with consumers drinking the beverage at a faster rate in March. The overall effect was a 30% increase in sales, reaching 50.78 lakh cases in March this year compared to 39.05 lakh cases in the same period last year.
Robust Liquor Performance
The overall liquor sales in Telangana exhibited strong performance in March, primarily fueled by a significant increase in beer consumption. This rise contrasts with the Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) segment, which saw a slight decline in sales volumes during the same period.
Beer Sales Growth
The growth in beer sales follows a prior period of decline influenced by price hikes. The surge is attributed to the early onset of intense summer heat, which prompted consumers to prefer beer over stronger spirits.
IMFL Decline
On the other hand, IMFL sales experienced a minor decline, dropping to 30.67 lakh cases from 31.46 lakh cases, a decrease of 2.5%. Despite mixed volume trends, the overall value of liquor sales for the month increased significantly, rising to Rs 3,485 crore from Rs 3,126 crore, indicating an 11.49% growth.
Record Sales on March 31
The sales momentum reached a peak on March 31, the last day of the financial year. The total sales value surged to Rs 410.87 crore, compared to just Rs 63.86 crore on the same day the previous year, showcasing an extraordinary year-on-year increase of 543.3%.
In terms of cases on March 31, IMFL saw a striking rise, climbing to 3.66 lakh cases from a mere 0.61 lakh cases the previous year. Similarly, beer sales for that day also experienced a notable increase, reaching 4.38 lakh cases compared to 0.9 lakh cases the year prior, representing a significant growth of 386.67%.
Expert Insights
Industry experts attributed this surge to the heavy summer that peaked earlier in the state and a preference for beer over IMFL. The trend is expected to continue as temperatures remain high.
