Buy one, get one free: Noida liquor shops offer discounts till March 31

If you live in Noida and are planning a liquor run, now might be the perfect time. Liquor shops across the NCR are offering discounts and deals to clear out their stock before the new excise policy in Uttar Pradesh comes into effect on April 1.

This year, UP introduced an e-lottery system for liquor shop licenses instead of renewing licenses as done in the past six years. This change allows new players to enter the market. Additionally, the government has introduced “composite shops” that will sell both beer and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) together. Because of this, many separate beer and IMFL shops will be merged.

Shop owners are now rushing to sell off their stocks by March 31 since any unsold liquor will be seized by excise officials. To avoid losses, vendors are offering various discounts and deals like buy-one-get-one-free offers and price reductions.


Offers on beers and whiskeys in Noida

For example, a liquor store in Noida's Sector 18 is offering a buy-one-get-one deal on whiskey, while a Sector 93 shop is focusing on beer promotions. Some shopkeepers prefer reducing prices instead.

According to excise officials, Noida liquor stores usually sell about 10,000 beer bottles, 30,000 foreign liquor bottles, and 40,000 country liquor bottles daily, generating Rs 3-4 crore in revenue every day. With the current discounts, they expect a 30-40% spike in sales this week.

Under the new policy, the number of liquor shops in Noida has been reduced from 535 to 501. This includes 239 composite liquor shops, 234 country liquor shops, 27 model shops, and one bhang shop.

Meanwhile, in Ghaziabad, where 463 liquor shops were allotted through the e-lottery, no clearance sales or discounts were reported, according to district excise officer Sanjay Singh.

(Inputs from TOI)