Liquor, petrol demand steady

Press, 9 November 1984, Page 6

Liquor, petrol demand steady

Christchurch people were not caught napping when petrol and alcohol prices rose in last evening’s Budget. Bottle stores and service stations said that customers had anticipated the rises and that demand had been steady all week. The week was “like a week before Christmas,” said the manageress of a Super Liquor Man bottle store, Mrs Angela Quaife. Reaction to this year’s Budget was much greater than last year and the store had been “flat out,” she said.

Customers had foreseen the big increase in spirits

and these had sold particularly well. Spirits had been sold • by the crate-load, which was very unusual. An employee of the Imperial Bottle Store, Mr Michael Brown, said that it had been “as hectic as it could get” in the last few days. He estimated there had been 5000 customers on each of the last two days.

Business was also hectic for service stations yesterday, with queues of cars. An attendant at Bruce Reid Motors in Moorhouse Avenue, Mr Paul Harris, said there were about 12 cars constantly waiting for petrol yesterday afternoon and last evening.