The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control announced that it had a record year for alcohol sales for the 17th year in a row.
The ABC’s 353 stores — five of them new since the last fiscal year — generated an additional $12 million, up from $140 in fiscal year 2014.
Much of the rise came from an increase in Sunday purchases. Sales to restaurants and bars were also up 4.4 percent.
There several possible reasons for the increase in sales, including more successful marketing, Virginia ABC spokesperson Kathleen Shaw said.
“There has been more publicity and artistic interest surrounding craft beers and spirits,” Shaw said in an email statement.
Also cited as possibly contributing is ABC’s new website, launched in March.
“[It] includes new capabilities, product features and search options that have helped customers find what they are looking for while also highlighting in-store promotions, tasting events, sale items, recipes and product knowledge,” Painter said in a press release.
The addition of five premier stores in 2014 was also a major contributing factor, Shaw said.
Population growth could also have helped drive sales, but whether it is in fact a contributing influence is difficult to determine.
“Logically, if there are more people, there will be more people buying,” Shaw said. “We aren’t a state agency that can go out and collect the right data.”
The profits generated from Virginia ABC go to the state government. In some cases, they are allocated to help recovering alcoholics.
“More than $65 million was provided from ABC gross profits in fiscal years 2013, 2014 and 2015 for the care, treatment, study and rehabilitation of alcoholics by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and other state agencies” Shaw said.
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