KEY POINTS:
It's mid-afternoon and two elderly ladies are sipping one dollar beers on a kerbside seat at the Otara shopping centre on Bairds Rd.
One is sitting under a liquor ban sign.
Manukau District Licensing Agency inspector Paul Radich says this road is a good example of clustering or density. With two wholesalers, three bars and a superette which sells beer and wine within 500m of each other, plus another retailer just up the road in the middle of a residential area, access to alcohol is no problem.
The two women are outside Bairds Road Discount Liquor. Leaning against trees are multiple two metre-long sandwich boards, for the most part advertising ready to drink specials _ 12 KGBs for $19.99.
Owner Jagpreet Singh is supervising a delivery while the women drink.
One argues about moving on with a town centre ambassador, whose job it is to make sure the area is safe, but there's no heat in the discussion and once her can is finished she leaves.
Mr Singh believes there's no doubt alcohol prices in South Auckland can't be beaten, but it's not a boast _ it's the reality of business.
"It's the cheapest in New Zealand _ there's too much competition."
Woodstock 440ml cans and 330ml bottles are stacked from floor to ceiling, in the fridge they sell individually for $2.00 for the 5 per cent strength and $2.50 for the 8 per cent cans.
In a week the aim is to move about $10,000 worth of the bourbon and cola mix.
It's a tight squeeze inside his shop as customers are funnelled around a centre stack of pre-mixes that runs the length of the store, fridges and the counter.
At Kiwi Int Superette & Liquor there are no prices in the single beer fridge or on the small wine selection that sits above shelves of corned beef tins.
There's a simple reason why prices aren't displayed, says 63-year-old store owner Jag Sharma _ a former parliamentarian who fled Fiji after being locked up during the 2001 coup.
"I just want to be quiet here. I've had my trials, nothing worse can happen to me. If people want to buy, they'll buy [without knowing the price]. It keeps out trouble."
Clean, new black and white linoleum makes for trippy flooring at Otara Liquor, where a Sikh operator is reading a book in a comfy armchair, feet propped up on a box of Flame beer.
It's quiet now, with just him and another worker present. Business will pick up around 4pm, they say, when workers start to head home.
Their customers will see one of the biggest deals going _ five types of one litre spirits at $6.99 each or three for $20.
For that price it's not the top shelf stuff _ Kentucky Blue, Kristov Red, Mad Jacks Gold, Carthews Gin and Napoleon Brandy are the picks.
WET SUBURBS
* Manukau's licensed premises
* Manurewa 91
* Howick 82
* Mangere 69
* Pakuranga 59
* Papatoetoe 58
* Botany 51
* Otara 50
* Clevedon 42
