PLCB Sees Luxury Wines Drive Retail Growth

In its annual report for its fiscal year through this past June, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) said robust premium wine sales drove a 3.2% revenue increase to a record $2.24 billion. Overall, retail wine sales within Pennsylvania’s control system rose 3.7% for the year, led by a 5.6% gain in its Chairman’s Selection wine program, as well as a 10.2% jump in the luxury wine category. Retail spirits sales increased 3.7%.

Meanwhile, the PLCB added more wine specialists to its retail locations across the state and continued its store rebranding and renovating initiative, replacing eight stores, renovating 15, enlarging one and opening two entirely new outposts. The agency noted that its updated and new stores are demonstrating both higher dollar and unit sales than their older counterparts.

As it continues to post solid sales growth and rebrand its stores, the PLCB is said to be under scrutiny for possible ethics violations. Last month, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that a grand jury is currently investigating whether PLCB employees had improper relationships with spirits and wine brokers that were conducting business with the agency.

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