Liquor Stores Say Business Has Been Booming, But They Worry About Their Customers

There is an old saying: When times are good, people drink. And when times are bad, people drink more.

That observation appears to be proving true during the pandemic. Local liquor store owners say their business has been booming over the past year — which is good for their bottom line — but that they are also worried their customers might be drinking too much.

It is hard to track consumption data in the state. Massachusetts officials report that liquor delivery sales increased 300 percent between 2019 and 2020 — but liquor delivery is a pretty new phenomenon. Addiction treatment counselors tell GBH News more people are seeking help. And monthly reports from the Department of Revenue show a significant rise in revenue from excise taxes on alcohol, from $45.5 million at the end of 2019 to $47.9 million at the end of 2020. That 5% jump is more than double the rate of increase the prior three years.

Howie Rubin is general manager of Bauer Wines and Spirits on Newbury Street in Boston. He said sales have “skyrocketed” during the past year, so much so that he’s concerned for the well-being of some customers.

“I have customers that I haven’t seen since the beginning of it, but they continue to order,” Rubin said. “I feel sorry for the people that have small living spaces and not a lot to do at home. Those people probably used our services more than anyone.”

Gary Park of Gary’s Liquors in West Roxbury keeps a diary to track sales during big events, like snowstorms and the store's major sales. Looking at that diary now, he said, it’s clear that sales jumped once the state moved into partial lockdown.

“I noticed the other day when I flipped [through the diary], that March 9 was really when everything hit the fan here,” Park said. “I have notes that Italy was under total lockdown, and the stock market crashed down 2,000 points, and people started to panic.”

The increased need for help with substance abuse prompted some recovery support groups, including Right Turn Recovery Center in Watertown, to move meetings online, said its founder, Woody Giessmann.

“It started off as a little bit of a challenge transitioning over to virtual technology,” Giessmann said. “But we jumped right on it, and we made the transition pretty flawlessly. But it has been, in 18 years, the most challenging year of providing treatment to people.”