Day One: Outlets in Ernakulam report 70% of normal sales

KOCHI: Even though day one of liquor sale through virtual queue management app Bev Q left many tipplers in the city disappointed due to glitches in the app on Thursday, those who got the token and managed to buy the liquor, beer and wine were satisfied as they did not have to wait in serpentine queues under scorching sun. Moreover, the bars at some of the star hotels, which were unaffordable to the laymen in normal days, sold the liquor and beer at KSBC price and queues were seen outside these hotels too throughout the day.

The Bevco and Consumerfed outlets in Ernakulam witnessed steady flow and reported up to 70% of the total sale on normal days. The bars and beer & wine parlours too reported good business.

According to excise officials, 131 out of the 146 bars, 60 beer and wine parlours, 36 Bevco outlets and seven Consumerfed outlets in Ernakulam excise division functioned on the first day. Officials said that 40,215 litres of Indian Made Foreign Liquor, 11,250 litres of beer and 72 litres of wine were sold in the district on Thursday.

Even though the customers have reached the Bevco outlets allotted to them much ahead of the prescribed time slot, the glitch in scanning QR codes of the token had delayed the service for some time. Only those people who had tokens were allowed to be in the queue and many elderly people who were unaware of the app or virtual queue returned disappointed after the police blocked them.