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COVID-19 is killing breweries and bars, but liquor sales skyrocketed last week

March 24, 2020Pretty Much a Press Release

Colorado liquor laws

Bar closures and consumer fear sent sales skyward last week at liquor stores across the country. Nationally, weekly revenue was up 145 percent YoY, while daily revenue climbed as high as 278% YoY on Monday, March 16. And, in Pennsylvania, daily revenue topped 1,000% YoY.

These are just a few findings in a recent analysis from Womply, a small business software company. To quantify the impact of COVID-19 on local businesses across the country, the data science team at Womply is conducting ongoing, daily data analyses of transaction trends YoY at 3,500 liquor stores. You can view that ongoing analysis here.

The data reveal what many have heard about or seen first hand – COVID-19 is driving panic buying of liquor:

liquor store sales

Weekly sales were up YoY in just about every state.

Pennsylvania saw the largest single day spike in the country on Monday, March 16 when daily revenue was up 1,002% YoY after Governor Wolf announced that bars and restaurants would be closed to dine-in customers.

New York liquor stores spiked earlier than most of the country, up 100% on March 10th. On Monday, March 16th, when New York bars and restaurants closed, sales at liquor stores across the state subsequently went up 341%.

Ohio liquor stores saw sales skyrocket up 477% the day after the governor announced all restaurants and bars would be closing.

liquor store sales

Check out more of Womply’s deep-dive here.

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