Mississippi liquor shortage impacts local businesses
Sales down in local liquor stores because of the shortage.
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Inventory in liquor stores across Mississippi is drying up.
Since early January, there have been delays in shipments from the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Warehouse.
Local businesses like Tuck’s Liquor & Wine are feeling the impact.
“We’re down about … 30 to 40 percent in sales right now. As you can see customers earlier, if we don’t have it, they’re going to try to get it from somewhere else,” said Wayne Tucker, owner of Tuck’s Wine and Liquor.
ABC officials said the delays come from technical issues caused by the warehouse’s new software management system.
The warehouse shifted to this system while performing a scheduled inventory in January.
Tucker said they’ve had to offer other brands because customers’ favorites were out of stock.
“One of our biggest sellers is Crown Royal. We can’t get Crown Royal at all right now, and as you can see, my bourbon section here, Evan Willams, and Jack Daniels, anything such as that, we don’t have much of,” said Tucker.
Tucker said the store is 415 cases behind.
And he said those shipments aren’t expected for another 30 days.
“So, the shelves you see … in 30 days, they’ll be empty by then,” said Tucker.
Store owners said in the past, shipments would come in less than three days from the time they ordered it.
Now, they’re having to plan ahead.
Tucker’s latest delivery was ordered a month ago.
“We normally get three orders a week… we might get one order a week now,” said Tucker.
ABC officials said a temporary delay in shipments was expected during the inventory.
However, that wait period expanded when technical issues arose with the new management system.
Store owners said ABC has remained in contact with them throughout the delays.
“They contact me and let me know, but that still doesn’t change that fact that, that don’t put it on my shelves,” said Tucker.
Warehouse officials said the technical issues were fully resolved as of last week, but shipments are still behind.
According to a message they gave liquor store owners, the warehouse won’t be caught up in shipments until May.
