Photo: 123RF
One year after Auckland Council imposed a ban on alcohol sales after 9pm, some liquor store owners in the city have reported a drop in sales by at least 20 percent.
The council mandated off-licences to halt alcohol sales after 9pm from 9 December 2024.
It also put a two-year freeze on new bottle shops opening in the CBD and 23 other town centres from 16 September 2024.
Jaspreet Kandhari Photo: Supplied
Jaspreet Kandhari, general secretary of the New Zealand Indian Business Association, said many retailers - particularly those in central suburbs and high-density commercial or residential areas - had experienced a sharp decline in revenue since the restrictions on late-night alcohol sales were introduced.
"[This] has left some businesses financially unsustainable and reducing the goodwill values owners originally invested in," Kandhari said.
"The downturn has also affected employment, with reduced hours and job losses becoming increasingly common as retailers respond to falling sales."
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the owner of a liquor store on Auckland's Karangahape Road said the anticipated change in consumer behaviour - where commentators thought people who wanted to drink would buy alcohol before 9pm, thereby reducing the impact the reduction in trading hours would have on sales - hadn't transpired as expected.
"Over the past year, my total sales have reduced by 23.5 percent," he said.
"Our major sales used to happen [late nights] on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. All that is gone now," he said.
"We are barely able to make any profits now. If things don't improve soon, I will have to sell my business at a loss and probably move to Australia."
The store owner said the drop in sales might be partly due to the sluggish economy.
"[But] the economy wasn't great last year as well before the 9pm alcohol sales ban was implemented," he said. "Our sales were good last year, so it's hard to quantify the impact of a worsening economy on drop in alcohol sales."
The owner of a liquor store in South Auckland, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said bars and restaurants were still permitted to serve alcohol after 9pm, but many customers found drinking in such establishments to be expensive.
"[So] we have observed people driving across Auckland boundaries, mainly to Waikato, to buy alcohol after 9pm. This has encouraged drink driving in our suburbs," he said.
"Liquor businesses in our area have suffered a drop of over 30 percent by reducing the alcohol trading time by two hours, which is when most people drink. Very seldom you will find people drinking during the day," he said.
"The council should at least give some leniency during summertime for our alcohol business to be viable."
Kandhari said his association remained largely supportive of the two-year freeze on new off-licence stores and reduced trading hours.
"[But] we believe a similar approach should apply to rural areas and smaller towns with low populations," he said.
"[What's more], a more tailored approach is needed for CBD locations, where a modest extension of operating hours would offer a more balanced and practical solution.
"Currently, bars in the city and surrounding fringe areas continue late-night trading while liquor stores must close by 9pm, an imbalance that does little to reduce overall consumption and instead shifts customers between different types of licensed premises.
"Any continuation of these restrictive measures should be guided by clear, evidence-based data demonstrating actual public-health outcomes, alongside a balanced assessment of the economic and employment impacts on affected businesses."
The Karangahape Road liquor store owner agreed.
"At least retailers like us in the CBD must be allowed to sell alcohol till 10pm, which will bring some relief to us," he said.
"As we mark one year of the reduced trading hours, Auckland Council should take feedback from all the stakeholders and take a call going forward."
Louise Mason, general manager of policy for Auckland Council, said councillors had championed the interests of Aucklanders for almost a decade relating to alcohol availability, with a focus on reducing the harm that could be caused by alcohol.
"A year on from successfully introducing a local alcohol policy for the region, the feedback to us suggests communities are experiencing positive impacts, such as quieter and safer streets, as a result," Mason said.
"Compliance with the change to hours has been excellent, according to our licensing inspectors," she said.
"We continue to monitor how the policy is playing out in its first year and we will report back to the mayor and councillors in early 2026."