New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC), which operates 80 New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet locations, set an all-time sales record of $698.2 million during Fiscal Year 2017—an increase of 2.92-%, or $19.8 million—according to unaudited NHLC sales figures, the agency said.
Since contracting with DHL, which invested $20 million to build a state-of-the-art, 243,000-square-foot warehouse in 2013, NHLC has saved more than $7 million for the state and supplier partners thanks to enhanced operations.
The warehouse, located in Bow and recognized by StateWays Magazine in 2016 for “Best Warehouse Innovation,” now processes more than 100,000 new cases of product each week, expanding NHLC’s storage capabilities by more than 190,000 square feet. The warehouse boasts smart technology, a deluxe picking system, temperature control features and a bottle-picking area. These capabilities have streamlined internal processes and supported increased customer demand and growing retail space in the state.
Another contributing factor to annual sales growth has been NHLC’s ability to differentiate itself from competition in neighboring states by introducing exclusive products at some of the most competitive prices in the country.
For example, NHLC made the largest individual purchase of single barrel whiskey in state history and set many distillery records when it hand-selected 62 combined barrels from the Jack Daniel, Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey and Jim Beam distilleries.
These selections, each with unique flavor profiles and characteristics, are available exclusively in New Hampshire. NHLC has also expanded its premium aged tequila offerings through a similar program.
NHLC’s successful Wine Power Buy program is also a significant contributing factor for sales. NHLC negotiates directly with suppliers in order to offer the finest wines at all price points at discounts of as much as 50-%.
New Hampshire, widely regarded as one of the most profitable and progressive states that control the sale of alcohol, generated $155.7 million in total liquor profits, which were transferred to New Hampshire’s General Fund to be used to support critical programs including education, health and social services, transportation, and natural resource protection. An additional $3.3 million was transferred to the state’s Alcohol Abuse Prevention and Treatment Fund, which supports alcohol and drug prevention, treatment and recovery programs. Since the first New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet opened in 1934, liquor and wine sales have generated more than $3.5 billion in revenue for the state.