Wake alcohol sales surged in March. So why have they returned to normal levels?
Alcohol sales surged last month in Wake County, as people flocked to get their hands on booze, data show.
Year-over-year sales were up 28% in March, when the first coronavirus case was confirmed in North Carolina, according to figures from the Wake County Board of Alcoholic Control.
The jump in sales came as the board reported a big dip — more than $1.3 million — from restaurants and bars, according to the alcohol board. On March 17, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper ordered those facilities to suspend dine-in service in an effort to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
“The first week, it was like Christmas in March,” said Ike Wheeler, general manager for Wake County ABC. “People were panicking. We had to scramble to keep inventory in the stores.”
Wheeler said all of Wake’s 25 ABC stores had to get extra product delivered in March. It was the second-busiest month of the fiscal year, trailing only December, the perennial top-selling month for liquor.
“March was booming,” he said.
In all, Wake County made $4 million more than in March of last year from retail alcohol sales, according to the data.
Wheeler said that sales have returned to normal levels in April, which he attributed to the public’s awareness that the stores will remain open and the impact of massive unemployment numbers.
Big business, big money
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, the sale of liquor and fortified wine in the state generated more than $1.2 billion and more than $462.8 million was distributed to state and local governments, according to the ABC Commission’s annual report.
Of the money distributed, $85 million went directly to city and county governments and $350 million went to the state’s General Fund. Another $27 million collected from permitting fees went to the General Fund.
Gov. Cooper’s recommended budget in 2020 was $24 billion.
Sales were up more than $90 million from fiscal year 2018.
In Mecklenburg County’s 27 stores, gross sales were more than $178 million. In Wake County’s 25 stores, gross sales were more than $151 million. Each county’s stores generated more than a 15.5% profit.
Wake County budgeted $4.1 million in fiscal year 2020 from local revenues, which consist primarily of ABC Board revenue.
The excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products amounts to 2.7% of the state’s General Fund.
This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 5:32 PM.
