Data from mid-July showed a total volume of 1.3bn litres of alcoholic drinks were bought in shops in the first 17 weeks of lockdown, compared to 2bn litres in the same period the previous year. This is a 35% fall in the total volumes of alcoholic drink bought compared to last year. But this may overstate the fall in alcohol retail purchasing, because we tend to consume more wine at home than beer, so getting twice or three times the amount of alcohol per litre. So, for the statistically inclined, here are some figures on sales volumes growth by drink type, which should allow the calculation of an estimate of alcohol volume purchased. This story will be updated with any resulting analysis. ■