Finland's state-owned alcohol chain Alko saw an eight-percent dip in per-litre sales of alcohol during the month of June, the firm has revealed in a press release.
The result comes in the wake of a change to Finland's alcohol laws, which came into force on 10 June and allows grocery stores and supermarkets to sell drinks with an alcohol content of up to eight percent.
Alko's statement noted that the impact of the legislative change on Alko's June sales was expected. The drop in sales was especially evident in the week immediately following the reform, the firm added.
"There are 12 times as many grocery stores as we have outlets, and their opening hours are 20 percent longer. It is clear that this would be reflected in our sales," Alko's Director of Customer Experience Tuula Sillanmäki said.
She added, however, that it is too early to draw long-term conclusions from the initial impact of the law change.
Alko's press release further revealed that sales in the first half of this year, from January to June, were down 5.5 percent year-on-year.
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