THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: This year too, Onam brought cheers to the Beverages Corporation which recorded sales worth around Rs 750 crore during the 10 festival days and 70% of the sales was through Bevco outlets and the rest through bars and outlets of Consumerfed. The Uthradam day topped with sales worth `78 crore. The outlet on the Power House road in Thiruvananthapuram clocked the highest single-day sale of `1.4 crore. The outlet at Irinjalakuda came second with `79 lakh and the one at Parakandi in Kannur recorded `78 lakh in sales.
Bevco’s sales volume during last Onam was `566 crore. And the Uthradam day sales were `52 lakh. The then toppers were the outlets at Irinjalakuda and Power House road which clocked `58 lakh and `52 lakh, respectively. This year, Bevco had made elaborate arrangements to avoid crowding at the outlets. As many as 181 additional counters were set up in busy outlets. These counters were manned by officers pooled from other departments of the corporation.
“About four lakh customers visited the outlets on Uthradam. The average number of visitors was 3.5 lakh on the other festival days. The additional counters worked well in giving prompt service and ensuring that the Covid protocol is followed,” Bevco chairman and managing director Yogesh Gupta told TNIE.
The online booking facility launched during the festival season evoked good response from customers, according to the corporation. The sales volume and number of customers are showing steady growth. The first day, August 17, saw 176 customers booking liquor worth Rs 2 lakh online. So far, the corporation has earned over `10 lakh through this. At present, the online booking facility for purchase from its selected outlets. “The pilot phase is successful. There will be a substantial increase in the number of outlets offering this facility within one month,” Gupta said.
Bevco is offering premium service to customers who have made online booking. “There would be a separate queue at the outlets for customers who made online booking. The consignment would be ready immediately after the booking so that the customers need not wait for delivery. Customers who make online booking can collect the liquor any time when the shop is open.