Kochi: This Onam, Kerala once again raised the bar in festive spending, with liquor sales surging to an all-time high. The Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) reported sales worth ₹920.74 crore during the festival season, marking a 9.34% jump from last year’s figure of ₹842.07 crore.
The biggest spike came on Uthradam day, when Bevco outlets raked in a staggering ₹137.64 crore, up from ₹126.01 crore in 2024. Although outlets remained shut on Thiruvonam day, business bounced back on Avittam day, with sales soaring to ₹94.36 crore, a sharp rise from ₹65.25 crore the previous year.
Adding to the milestone, six Bevco outlets crossed the ₹1-crore mark in sales, while the Super Premium Shop alone netted ₹67 lakh—five times more than last year, according to Bevco Managing Director Harshita Attaluri.
The festive boom is expected to lift Bevco’s annual performance as well. Kerala’s liquor sales stood at ₹19,069.27 crore in 2023–24, rising to ₹19,730.66 crore in 2024–25, reflecting 3.5% year-on-year growth.
Consumerfed Shines with Record Sales
It wasn’t just Bevco riding the festive wave. Consumerfed, Kerala’s cooperative retail network, posted its highest-ever Onam sales of ₹187 crore this season. Operating through 1,579 Onam markets and 164 Triveni supermarkets, it offered relief to households by selling 13 essential items at subsidized rates and daily-use products with 10–40% discounts. Goods worth ₹110 crore were distributed under state subsidy schemes alone.
From premium liquor counters to subsidized essentials, this Onam turned into a season of record-breaking consumption across Kerala.
