New rules for the sale of alcoholic beverages have come into force

Since the end of last week, new restrictions on the sale of alcohol began to apply in St. Petersburg: it is now prohibited to sell it not 9 hours a day, as before, but 13 - from 22:00 to 11:00. Experts believe that this is a blow to small businesses, which could lose up to 5-7% of turnover, noting that chain retailers will not lose anything from this, and the population is unlikely to drink less as a result.

On November 8, amendments to the city law “On the circulation of alcoholic and alcohol-containing products in St. Petersburg” came into force, increasing the hours prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages. Before this, alcohol could be sold in stores from 8:00. until 23:00.

As Sergei Solovyov (United Russia faction) Chairman of the Legislative Assembly's Commission on State Power previously explained to Kommersant, he was prompted to submit this amendment by a letter from the Chairman of the Smolny Committee for the Development of Entrepreneurship and the Consumer Market, Elgiz Kachaev, received after the second reading. The head of the committee cited statistics from the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation, according to which reducing the time of sale of alcohol reduces the number of serious crimes and increases the life expectancy of the population. “People should go to work in good health and not be able to take things with them to the enterprise. People need to devote more time to their health, and not so that his mood has deteriorated - he went and took it. Maybe this norm is for someone “will save lives,” Mr. Solovyov suggested then.

According to Finam Management analyst Maxim Klyagin, new regulations (including restrictions on distribution channels, a ban on sales at night, and other special regulations) of course put some additional pressure on the industry. “But in general, such an influence, of course, is limited - such norms themselves do not lead to a noticeable reduction in the market. So far, the key factor in the market correction, in my opinion, is still the price factor. The main pressure on the market is precisely dynamic growth retail prices associated with a rapid increase in the fiscal burden - an increase in excise tax rates. As a result, we are seeing a slight decrease in the level of consumption and, judging by preliminary data, a moderate redistribution of shares of the main product segments in the market structure. In addition, the possible movement of a certain part of the market cannot be ruled out. into the illegal trade zone. One of the main risks of the industry in the context of rapid growth of the fiscal burden is the likelihood of an expansion of illegal trade. Therefore, an increase in the excise tax rate should, of course, be accompanied by an increase in the efficiency of market administration, including in terms of retail sales,” says Mr. Klyagin.

According to Finam Management Management Company with reference to the FSGS, in the first half of 2013, retail sales of alcoholic beverages in Russia in terms of absolute alcohol decreased by 2% compared to the first half of 2012. In the vodka and liquor segment, sales decreased by 7%, to 79 million decaliters (the segment’s share of the total market volume in terms of absolute alcohol decreased by 2.2 percentage points, from 44.4% to 42.2%). Beer sales decreased by 2%, to 577 million decaliters (the share in the total market volume remained virtually unchanged and amounted to 39%).

Natalya Samoilova, head of the analytical department of the investment company Golden Hills-Kapital AM, believes that additional hours of the ban could hit chain stores, but much will depend on the structure of goods and the orientation of the outlet itself. “According to research, most alcohol is bought between 20:00 and 23:00, so the impact on the turnover of small retail outlets focused on selling alcoholic beverages may be 5-7 percent. But for large chains, this ban is unlikely For example, the share of alcohol in the total revenue of the well-known retailer O'Key is no more than 10 percent, so the introduction of the law is unlikely to have a big impact on sales, especially since customers are quickly getting used to the restrictions. However, there is another side. medals - the likelihood of an increase in the turnover of illegal trade. In addition, it will not be so difficult to circumvent the ban: some stores “give” alcohol to their customers. For example, if you buy a box of matches for 500 rubles, you can receive a gift in the form of a bottle of alcohol. , there are negative consequences of introducing such a restriction,” she sums up.

Roman Grinchenko, an analyst at Investkafe, does not think that this will be a significant bonus for bars and restaurants, since prices in them are usually much higher, and those people who are ready for such a price most often go to them anyway. “The growth in revenue will be more significant for “their stores,” which will sell alcohol at a higher price than in chain stores, and for buyers this will be practically the only option,” he says.

According to the general director of the club of alcohol market professionals, Maxim Chernigovsky, restrictions on the sale of alcohol were introduced in most regions of the Russian Federation back in 2006, including in St. Petersburg. “During this time, the volume of consumption of alcoholic beverages in terms of absolute alcohol has practically not changed in our country. Only the assortment structure of consumption has changed: they began to consume less vodka, more wine. Likewise, the turnover of retailers has not changed. As for the growth of revenue at public enterprises nutrition, if there is any, it will be very insignificant. In European countries, sales of alcohol in bars and restaurants reach 40 percent of the total consumption of alcoholic beverages; in Russia, due to high prices, this figure is no more than five percent. Temporary restrictions on sales. alcohol at night can only reduce the number of offenses committed by people under the influence of alcohol. In most Western European countries, there are similar restrictions. The time frame for these restrictions is based on an analysis of police reports. What they are based on in Russia is a big question,” says Mr. Chernigovsky.

Yulia Chayun

Eleven o'clock for alcohol