Record numbers at liquor store for March

OREGON –Alcohol sales at liquor stores are through the roof setting record numbers in the month of March.

Oregon Liquor Control Commission liquor stores sold close to $66 million in distilled spirits last month, nearly a 20% increase setting a new March sales record. The OLCC says with the stay at home order, customers have shifted from bars and restaurants to bringing a bottle home.

“Liquor stores also experienced a surge of consumer activity, consumer purchases. That’s in part because I think people thought liquor stores were going to close down,” Mark Pettinger, OLCC, said.

Bar and restaurant sales dropped over 50% from March 2019 to March 2020.

OLCC liquor stores have issued more than $500,000 in refunds to bars and restaurants in returned liquor.

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