Small shops in Vidzeme do not feel the effects of alcohol restrictions 0 13

The first two weeks saw enough customers in the stores, some of whom were dissatisfied and asked why they could no longer buy alcohol after 8:00 PM or why they could not do so early in the morning. Now, regional shop owners note that customers have mostly adapted.

The influx of customers often occurs in the evening, right before the prohibited time, as before, or shortly before 10 AM. At other times of the day, small shops have become much quieter. However, according to surveyed residents, even such restrictions will not lead to a decrease in alcohol consumption in the country.

Shop owners interviewed by Latvian Television noted a slight decrease in alcohol sales in the first month, but an increase in September. Overall, the trend is that customers are buying more alcohol at once than before.

"If we compare August and September of this year with August and September of last year, it is clear that the restriction period affected the number of purchases - it slightly decreased, dropping below 2000 during this period. When it comes to alcohol consumption, there was a slight decline, just a few percent. Interestingly, in September, alcohol consumption increased by 2%, despite all the restrictions," said Arnis Zvaigzne, manager of the "Skorpions" store in Zaube, Cesis region.

Vitaly Lebedev, manager of the "Uni Bode" store chain: "When it comes to alcohol, everything is within normal limits. Of course, the global economic situation dictates its trends, but no significant changes are observed in our company's stores."

Sellers also noted that the decrease in consumption in August was likely more influenced by the cool weather than by the restrictions. In turn, in September, no significant differences from previous years were felt. Some shop owners believe that more objective conclusions can be drawn in a year when the full picture of revenue and customer habits will be visible. Then decisions can be made about changing working hours.