Page 11 - BusinessWest July 20, 2020

lan, noting that in-person visits are still popular, but curbside is flourishing
as an option, and delivery, offered by some but not all, has certainly gained significant traction as well.
And while business is up generally, there have been periods of especially heavy volume, including some holi- days that have historically been dine- out occasions but are now, like most things, stay-at-home affairs.
“When Mother’s Day came, and Father’s Day ... those are occasions where a lot of people go out to a brunch or something like that — but not this year,” Quinlan said. “And so we saw our business jump signifi- cantly during those weeks when peo- ple would be having meals at home instead.”
Barry noted that, while it’s logical to assume that the closing of the five colleges located near his store in the middle of the spring semester would certainly have impacted his bottom line, he said that’s not really the case.
“What’s of note to
us is that, in the wine department, the average price of a bottle that we’re selling has gone down
a little bit. People who would drink a bottle or two of wine a week were now drinking three or four bottles a week, so they’re spending less on those bottles.”
That’s because the vast majority of students are underage, he noted, and also because his store, unlike some in that area, does not directly market to the college crowd.
But the crowd it does cater to is def- initely buying more these days, adding that he’s seen several trends develop. One is that many people — meaning those who can — are buying in bulk, on the theory being that, as with trips to the supermarket, many are trying to make as few as possible.
So they’re coming less often, and they’re also buying in larger quantities, which is better for them than it is for the liquor-store owner.
“Sales are up, customer counts
are pretty flat, and overall, net profit
is slightly down,” Barry said. “That’s because everyone is buying bulk items and taking advantage of case discounts
Drinking
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