PLCB: Wine, liquor sales set record day before state stores closed

Pennsylvania’s decision to close its Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores on March 17 because of the coronavirus pandemic triggered the highest single-day sales in at least a decade, according to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

The PLCB reported about $29.9 million in sales on March 16, the day the state announced it would close its 598 commercial locations and 13 licensee service centers. Online sales stopped at 5 p.m. March 16.

More than $20.3 million in sales were recorded the following day, St. Patrick’s Day. The stores have been closed since 9 p.m. March 17.

The March 16 figure is likely the highest ever recorded, but the agency’s sales data covers only the past 12 years, according to spokeswoman Elizabeth Brassell.

Prior to the coronavirus-related sales surge, the highest sales day in the past year was Nov. 27, 2019, the day before Thanksgiving, when sales totaled $19.6 million, according to Brassell.

Sales topped $114 million between March 12 and 17. Over the same period in 2019, sales totaled $42.7 million, according to the PLCB.

State stores were packed before the closure.

At the Edgewood Towne Centre location on the evening of March 16, customers encountered a 20-minute wait in each of the three cashier lanes that were open. Many people were spending $100 or more on liquor or wine.

Choices were limited and customers used empty boxes to hold their bottles as they waited. Cashiers sanitized the electronic card readers after each purchase.

A live look at Edgewood liquor store from ⁦@TribDavidson⁩ pic.twitter.com/Zk3xGZx49r

— Ben Schmitt (@bencschmitt) March 16, 2020

Gov. Tom Wolf said during a news conference Sunday night that he might revisit whether the stores should remain closed.

“We did not take this decision lightly, but it is critical that we all do our part to mitigate the impact of covid-19. In these uncertain and unprecedented times, the public health crisis must take priority over the sale of wine and spirits, as the health and safety of our employees and communities is paramount,” a statement on the PLCB website reads.

Employees who work at the state stores will continue to be paid “through the duration of this public health crisis,” PLCB spokesman Shawn Kelly said.

Beer distributors remain open across the state. Retail stores that sell beer and wine, such as Sheetz and Giant Eagle, continue to sell those beverages.