Comprehensive document details agency operations and sales trends
Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) today released its
Fiscal Year 2020-21 Annual Report, which details agency operations, sales trends, popular products, and financial results.
The annual report reviews the agency’s financials and provides insight into functions including store operations, licensing, marketing and merchandising, supply chain, wholesale operations, information technology, alcohol education, and personnel. The document is filled with statistics and information shedding light on how the agency works and where the money it generates goes.
The annual report also showcases sales by product category, individual products, counties, e-commerce, stores, and sales periods. For example:
- FW&GS retail sales grew 26.4% over the prior year, with monthly gains ranging between 8.4% growth in November 2020 to 559.1% in April 2021.
- E-commerce sales in fiscal year 2020-21 totaled $16.8 million, a 37.3% decrease in dollar sales compared to the prior year due to the reopening of most FW&GS 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.
Additional highlights of the 2020-21 Annual Report include:
- A one-page summary showing distribution of PLCB funds to various recipients. More than $813.4 million was distributed to the Pennsylvania General Fund and state and local government beneficiaries in fiscal year 2020-21.
- A summary of Fine Wine & Good Spirits store operations, including store renovation efforts and highlights on the opening of two new Premium Collection stores within historic landmarks — The Granary in Philadelphia and the Produce Terminal Building in Pittsburgh.
- Information on the opening of a new state-of-the-art distribution center in Philadelphia.
- A summary of changes at the PLCB's e-commerce fulfillment center and resultant gains in operational efficiencies, process improvements and cost savings.
- An overview of Project New Horizon, the PLCB's three-year plan for implementation of a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform to modernize and transform the way the agency conducts business and reports sales and revenues.
- Information on permits issued and sales to holders of wine expanded permits, which authorize the sale of wine to go by private retailers.
- A breakdown of 83,000 liquor license and permit applications processed and more than 6,600 investigations completed, as well as a breakout of licenses by county.
- A summary of alcohol education efforts to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking, including an overview of the agency’s 2021 Report on Underage and High-Risk Drinking and award-winning Know When. Know How.SM campaign.
- Sales information and trends by product and category, including top-selling spirits and wines by county.
- Store-by-store sales and a dedicated section on sales of Pennsylvania-made wines and spirits.
- A list of recipients of $2 million in PLCB grants that support Pennsylvania’s wine and beer industries.
To save on costs, a limited number of copies of the report is printed. This report – and reports from previous years – are available at
lcb.pa.gov.
The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates 600 wine and spirits stores statewide, and licenses 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups, and licensees. Taxes and store profits – totaling nearly $18.7 billion since the agency’s inception – are returned to Pennsylvania’s General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania’s schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies, and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit
lcb.pa.gov.
MEDIA CONTACT: Shawn M. Kelly, 717.303.8522
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