Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s retail sales grew 26.4% over Fiscal 2020, the agency reported.
E-commerce sales in fiscal 2021 totaled $16.8 million, a 37.3% decrease in dollar sales compared to the prior year due to the reopening of most Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores as of July 1, 2020, and an increase to in-store shopping. When compared to pre-pandemic dollar sales and transactions for 2018-19, sales for 2020-21 were up by 236.6% and the number of transactions increased by 285.1%.
Total dollar sales for canned and non-canned ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages increased by 91.3% over 2019-20, with sales of canned RTD wines and spirits increasing by 336.3%.
In 2020-21, dollar sales for tequila increased by 52.3% over the prior fiscal year. Benefitting from the trend toward premiumization, sales of products in the $40 to $60 price range increased by 81.2%, while sales of products in the $20 to $40 price range increased by 48.9%.
A total of 53 counties had unflavored vodka as their top spirits category. American whiskey followed with 13 counties. Canadian whisky was the top category in Greene County.
California cabernet sauvignon was the top wine category in 26 counties, while another 19 counties had box red wine as the top wine category; beverage wine followed in 14 counties, and California chardonnay followed in eight.
The top three counties — Allegheny, Philadelphia, and Montgomery — accounted for almost 35% of statewide sales.