Alcohol sales have risen by a third during pandemic

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Sales of food and alcohol have seen a huge jump in recent weeks, according to new figures.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has been analysing total sales volumes dived 5.1% as many stores shut their doors in the face of the coronavirus crisis.

Although total sales volumes have dived by 5.1% in total, food stores reported their strongest growth on record in March as sales jumped 10.4% with shoppers stocking up on essential groceries.

The total value of online food sales in March was more than double the same month last year, rising by 101%.

Meanwhile, the ONS said alcohol-focused stores saw a 31.4% surge in volumes.

But retail sales reported the sharpest fall on record last month as clothing sales plunged by more than a third – 34.8% lower than February.

People aren’t drinking Corona beer, though – makers Anheuser-Busch InBev recently warned over the steepest decline in quarterly profit for at least a decade after coronavirus cost it around £132 million in lost profit.