(Bloomberg) -- Official figures Friday confirmed what many Britons have privately known for weeks: The lockdown may keep them out of the pub, but it won’t stop them drinking. Alcohol stores, one of only a few retail sectors allowed to remain open under strict social distancing rules, saw sales surge by almost a third in March -– the biggest monthly increase since records began in 1988. The figure doesn’t include supermarkets, where the vast majority of alcohol is bought.
Some put it down to comfort consumption in a nation where civil liberties have been dramatically curtailed in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus. Daily routines have been disrupted, and working from home, or not at all in many cases, means fewer road journeys are being made, removing the need not to indulge.In a dire month for British retailers, food stores thrived, with sales surging more than 10%. Business was boosted early in the month by stockpiling among consumers fearing shortages of key items as Britain headed toward lockdown.