Excise dept sales show city's opting for sophistication as beer and country liquor sales dip, hit by hike in excise duty
A comparison of the state excise department's sales for 2013-14 with the preceding financial year indicates that while Mumbai's suburbs are leaning more towards the sophisticated and suave choice of wine, Thane's watering holes are overflowing with beer, the party brew.
Meanwhile, Pune is developing a taste for Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL), while Nagpur is sticking to country liquor.
The suburbs are the front-runners in terms of wine sales in Maharashtra at 13.21 lakh bulk litres (BL) followed by Pune (8.12 lakh BL), Thane (7.49 lakh BL), Mumbai city (6.29 lakh BL) and Nashik (5.06 lakh BL). Wine sales in Maharashtra rose by 9.71% in 2013-14, 50.56 lakh BL higher than the 2012-13 figure of 46.08 lakh BL. Mumbai city and suburbs saw a rise of 10.15% and 8.09% respectively.
Experts say this rise in sales reflects the gradual desire for upward mobility in the newly emerging educated middle-class; wine is seen as an aspirational drink, signaling changing lifestyles and work patterns.
The sales of beer, a staple at watering holes, have headed south in most districts including Mumbai city and suburbs, Pune and Raigad, with tipplers consuming just 2,986.09 lakh BL in 2013-14, as compared to 3,169.34 lakh BL in the previous fiscal, a fall of 5.78%. Thane leads in beer consumption (629.51 lakh BL), followed by Mumbai suburban (488.04 lakh BL), Pune (413.51 lakh BL), Mumbai city (201.30 lakh BL), Raigad (150.09 lakh BL) and Nashik (111.09 lakh BL). The highest fall in beer sales was in Parbhani (20.36%), Jalna (18.54%) and Nandurbar (15.30%), while that for Mumbai city and suburbs was 6.29% and 4.41%.
Pune leads in the consumption of IMFL at 246.94 lakh BL with Mumbai suburban (230.44 lakh BL) at a close number two. Other areas topping IMFL sales are Thane (217.51 lakh BL), Mumbai city (112.03 lakh BL) and Nagpur (92.07 lakh BL). IMFL consumption rose by 7.84% to end at 1,615.06 lakh BL in 2013-14 versus 1497.62 lakh BL in 2012-13. The rise in Mumbai city was 4.24% and 9.45% in the suburbs. Nagpur saw the highest sales of country liquor, followed by Mumbai suburbs, Pune and Thane.
"Sales of wine are picking up," state excise commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee told dna. "There is a trend to turn towards wine in parties and banquets," observed Mukherjee.
Excise officials said that being seen with a glass of wine in a social gathering gave people a better sense of upward mobility than the finest malts. Mukherjee said the hike in excise duty rates on beer and country liquor had also affected their sales. In contrast, wine has a tax holiday till 2021.
"The hike in excise duty for IMFL and beer last year led to consumers shifting to wines," noted Randeep Singh of Shah and Company Wines. "Wine starts at Rs 99 and goes up to Rs 500," said Singh, adding that these entry-level products accounted for a major share of wines sold in Maharashtra.
Singh attributed the rising educated, middle class in tier II, III and IV cities with disposable incomes who looked at wine as a "fashion product and evening drink" as among the major drivers of sales.
Mukherjee said beer sales had fallen because of incessant and prolonged rains last year and the decision to make it mandatory for breweries to use new bottles only following a court order, which had led to a shortage of bottles (and affected production apart from increasing the MRP).
"Maharashtra follows a policy of high prices and low sales," said an official. "High prices are one way of discouraging consumption apart from the regular permit oriented system," he added. Two districts, Wardha and Gadchiroli are under prohibition.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}