Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board adopts public health guidance to protect customers, employees
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board today announced that 77 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores in counties designated in the yellow phase of COVID-19 mitigation efforts will resume limited in-store public access beginning Friday, May 8, abiding by guidance for businesses issued by the Wolf Administration detailing social distancing requirements and other best practices in the interest of public health and safety.
The following mitigation efforts will be in place as these stores resume limited in-store public access:
- Stores will limit the number of customers in a store at any time, allowing no more than 25 people (employees and customers) in any location and further restricting numbers of customers in smaller stores.
- The first hour each store is open each day will be reserved for customers at high risk for COVID-19, including those 65 years of age and older. Voluntary compliance from all customers is encouraged in the interest of protecting the health and safety of our most vulnerable community members.
- Customers and employees will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing, guided by signage throughout the stores.
- Signage will also direct customers to follow one-way patterns to avoid cross-traffic and encourage them to refrain from touching products unless they intend to buy them.
- Store employees will perform enhanced and frequent cleaning and disinfecting, and store hours will be modified to ensure appropriate time for cleaning and restocking.
- All sales are final, and no returns will be accepted until further notice.
Prior to opening to the public, each location was professionally sanitized, and Plexiglas was installed at registers to provide a physical barrier between employees and customers at checkout. All Fine Wine & Good Spirits employees are being provided masks, gloves and frequent opportunities to wash hands.
The 77 stores resuming limited in-store public access and their hours are identified in a list published by the PLCB, and they are located in the following counties: four in Bradford County, six in Centre County, two in Clarion County, five in Clearfield County, two in Clinton County, four in Crawford County, two in Elk County, 15 in Erie County, two in Jefferson County, four in Lawrence County, seven in Lycoming County, two in McKean County, five in Mercer County, one in Montour County, four in Northumberland County, one in Potter County, one in Snyder County, one in Sullivan County, three in Tioga County, two in Union County, three in Venango County, and one in Warren County.
Stores reopening to limited public access will continue offering curbside pickup to the best of their ability, as they operate with limited staff. Statewide curbside pickup sales from April 20 through May 5 total nearly 381,000 orders for $29.1 million, including sales tax, according to preliminary, unaudited figures.
Eleven additional Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores in yellow counties – one in Cameron County, two in Clarion County, two in Forest County, two in Jefferson County, two in McKean County, one in Potter County, and one in Warren County – are small stores with very limited staffing that will continue offering curbside pickup only until additional employees may be hired to support retail operations in the near future.
The PLCB will also continue accepting online orders at FineWineAndGoodSpirits.com, fulfilling orders from more than 100 locations. According to preliminary, unaudited figures, e-commerce sales at FineWineAndGoodSpirits.com from April 1 through May 5 total 141,500 orders for $13.5 million, excluding sales tax. In fiscal year 2018-19, e-commerce sales between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019, totaled 39,000 orders for $5 million.
The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates nearly 600 wine and spirits stores statewide, and licenses 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups, and licensees. Taxes and store profits – totaling nearly $18.5 billion since the agency’s inception – are returned to Pennsylvania’s General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania’s schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies, and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit lcb.pa.gov.
