Alcohol sales increased during pandemic, staying high as restrictions loosen
Thursday, July 8, 2021
(iStock photo)
Drinking is something of a well-practiced pastime during the best of times in Baton Rouge, but during the pandemic with its isolating stay-at-home orders and social distancing restrictions people apparently took it up a notch … or two.
Calandro’s Supermarket on Perkins Road has seen a large increase in alcohol sales, with store manager Blaise Calandro III tipping his glass to folks unable to visit bars and restaurants as well as the popularity of at-home mixology during the pandemic.
What’s happening here mirrors the national trend of increased alcohol sales, with Axios citing a survey from late 2020 that found 75% of Americans upped their alcohol consumption during the pandemic, drinking at least one more day per month. Data measurement company Nielsen found a 54% increase in alcohol sales from March 2019 to March 2020.