US alcohol consumption surges, companies revamp operations

One way Americans are coping with the new coronavirus? Booze.

US sales of alcoholic beverages rose 55% in the week ending March 21, according to Nielsen.

Spirits like tequila, gin and pre-mixed cocktails led the way, with sales jumping 75% compared to the same period last year.

Wine sales were up 66% while beer sales rose 42%.

And online sales far outpaced in-store sales.

Nielsen said online alcohol sales were up 243%.

Danelle Kosmal, a Nielsen vice president, suspects growth rates peaked that week as people loaded up their pantries before state stay-at-home orders went into effect.

Kosmal said data for the week ending March 28 will be a better indicator of ongoing demand.

Meanwhile, luxury clothing companies, chemical producers, car makers and other companies continue to revamp production to meet pandemic supply demands.

Dow, which typically does not produce hand sanitised, is doing so because the raw materials are readily available to the chemical maker. The majority of the sanitised will be donated to health systems and government agencies.

The company began making sanitised at its plant in Stead, Germany.

Those operations are being expanded at facilities in Michigan, West Virginia, Belgium and Brazil.

The Auburn site has the capacity to produce approximately 15,000 pounds of sanitised a week, or nearly 30,000 eight-ounce bottles.

Ford is re purposing a parts factory west of Detroit to make simple ventilators starting the week of April 20.

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