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Retail sales of vodka reported up 1.2 percent year-on-year in first 10 months of 2012

Retail sales of vodka in the first 10 months of 2012 totaled 10,005,100 decaliters, increasing by 1.2 percent compared with the same period of the previous year, according to the National Statistical Committee (Belstat).

Sales of alcoholic drinks, including beer, totaled 13.2 trillion rubels in the first 10 months of the year, accounting for 10.6 percent of all retail trade in Belarus, Belstat said.

Sales of vodka-based liqueurs reportedly amounted to 1,609,800 decaliters, a 7.4-percent year-on-year decrease; sales of beer to 29,178,100 decaliters, a 1.2-percent increase; and sales of sparkling wines to 1,116,300 decaliters, a 6.1-percent increase.

Sales of brandies decreased by 24.7 percent to total 202,100 decaliters, and those of "fruit wines" by 26.8 percent to total 9,854,100 decaliters, accounting for 22.1 percent of all sales of alcoholic drinks, down from 28 percent in the first 10 months of 2011.

Sales of grape wines rose by 2.2 percent to total 2,563,600 decaliters and those of low-alcohol drinks by 1.7 percent to total 715,300 decaliters.

Vodka accounted for 49.8 percent of the total pure alcohol consumption, up from 45.6 percent in the first 10 months of 2011, and beer for 14.6 percent, up from 13.3 percent. //BelaPAN