Under Washington's new privatized liquor sales system, many retailers are advertising the "shelf" price of liquor – representing the base retail price before taxes are added in. Use this app to calculate your taxes and see the total price you will pay at checkout.
Under Washington's new privatized liquor sales system, many retailers are advertising the "shelf" price of liquor – representing the base retail price before taxes are added in. Use this app to calculate your taxes and see the total price you will pay at checkout.
Use this app to look up the previous retail price of liquor charged by state stores before privatization.
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Early this year when the state put its network of liquor stores on the auction block, many small-business people saw it as their path to prosperity. Now, six months after liquor sales were privatized, many of those once-eager bidders, who collectively paid the state more than $31 million for the rights to the state’s former stores, have discovered their adventures in retailing are a road to ruination.
Statewide liquor sales by volume rose a modest 2.9 percent through September, helped by consumer purchases but pulled lower by a drop in wholesale sales, according to data released Tuesday by the state Department of Revenue.
Independent liquor stores that opened after the state handed the reins of liquor sales to private companies seven months ago already are facing the threat of closure.
New state fees on spirits have cut into the bottom line of small-business owners and increased prices. Many potential Tri-Cities customers are driving to Oregon for cheaper booze.
At the same time, big box stores such as Costco are eligible for quantity discounts under Initiative 1183 that smaller stores don't qualify for, making it harder to compete with chain grocery stores and pharmacies.
Until last year, restaurants and bars had one choice for where to buy liquor: state government.
Now that liquor in Washington has left the relatively secure environment of small network of state stores to become part of the standard merchandise in virtually every grocery, drug and discount store in the state, it does not seem surprising that stories of liquor theft have become commonplace.
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