An annual report providing the latest data
from the control states.
By Richard Brandes
he results of our annual fiscal year survey of the
control states is singularly similar to last year's:
control state agencies continue to register dollar
and volume growth, even in an overall sluggish
to moderately growing economy. And state beverage
alcohol operations continue to benefit state governments based on the increased revenues contributed to
the individual state coffers. At the same time, operational costs of the control states overall grew modestly,
at a lower percentage than revenue increases, with productivity and efficiency gains allowing agencies to, once
again, make the most of their resources.
This is the 17th consecutive year that StateWays is
presenting its annual review of the financial progress
being made throughout the control states, providing an
overview of the beverage alcohol business. This is based
on reports from all 18 control jurisdictions [This year,
Washington State was not included.], and we're grateful
to the control state agencies and personnel who provided extensive information to help us compile this annual
report. Our data details state-by-state dollar sales, revenue contribution, distilled spirits and wine (where
8
applicable) sales volume, operating expenses, and the
numbers of types of outlets and employees in the system.
We've also included projected sales volumes and revenue
contributions for the Fiscal Year 2014. Where appropriate, we've published brief descriptions of any additional
circumstances a state would like to provide that might
amplify what is going on in a state's beverage alcohol
operation. In addition to this individual state information, we've ranked the jurisdictions based on their total
sales and aggregated some key statistics to give an overall sense of the growth and size of business throughout
the control states.
Meanwhile, following the privatization of the
Washington State control model, some state governments and legislatures have drafted their own plans for
privatizing various parts of their control systems. While
there have been some changes at the edges, no control
state has seen its system dismantled. The biggest battle,
it appears, is still taking place in the largest control state,
as different forces and interest groups continue to spar
over the positive or negative effects of privatizing
Pennsylvania's state liquor stores.
StateWays I www.stateways.com I November/December 2013
