Hampton Roads liquor store once again No. 1 in Va.
Virginia Beach ABC store raked in $9.6M in fiscal year 2020
VIRGINIA BEACH — Raise a glass, Virginia Beach. You’re No. 1. In liquor sales, that is.
The Virginia ABC store in the Hilltop North Shopping Center on Laskin Road has reclaimed its spot as the top grossing store in the state, raking in a whopping $9.6 million in fiscal year 2020.
A store in Alexandria took the lead in 2019, but even with a pandemic in full swing, Hilltop reigns again.
Coming in second place: A store in Vienna with $8.6 million in gross sales. Another Virginia Beach store, the one on 30th Street at the Oceanfront, landed in the top five, with $8.4 million in gross sales, according to Virginia ABC’s recently released financial report for fiscal year 2020.
Virginia ABC stores statewide produced $1.2 billion in revenue, up $117 million over fiscal year 2019. Of that, the state received $545.3 million for its general fund.
Curbside pickup at most stores
and the launching of at-home shipping helped Virginia ABC roll with the challenges of a pandemic in 2020.
To support restaurants, Virginia ABC permitted cocktails to-go and deferred license fees.
Restaurants account for half of the Hilltop store’s sales, according to Dawn Eischen, spokesperson for the Virginia ABC Authority.
Even with an overall decline in restaurant sales between March and November 2020, store sales across the state increased by more than $288 million as compared to the same time period in 2019.
The numbers kept growing through the most recent holiday season. From Thanksgiving Day 2020 to New Year’s Day 2021, store sales increased 8.6%, or more than $12 million, as compared to the same time period a year ago, according to Eischen. (To note: Thanksgiving was a couple of days earlier in 2020.)
So what are Virginians drinking?
Tito’s Handmade Vodka has been the top performing brand for three years in a row. It accounted for $52 million in sales in 2020. Hennessy V.S, a cognac, has held second place since 2018, and Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Black whiskey has held third place for the last three years. Cheers.
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com
Virginia ABC has awarded an average of $80,000 each year to Virginia organizations working to prevent underage and high-risk drinking. Grant applications are now being accepted and are due by 5 p.m. March 1. Visit www.abc. virginia.gov/education/grants.