Beer down 10% and wine 5% as increased online and supermarket sales fail to offset pub revenue collapse
Alcohol sales fell during 2020 as the prolonged closure of pubs and bars cancelled out a rise in home drinking during lockdown and more people developed a taste for non-alcoholic alternatives.
Healthcare providers have sounded the alarm about increased alcohol consumption among problem drinkers during the pandemic, while home delivery services have been singled out as posing a particular danger for addicts. But figures due next week are expected to show that British drinkers bought less alcohol overall during the year to the start of October, a period that included more than six months of coronavirus restrictions.
