I've revised the spirits selection report that I posted last week to further break down the "in-store" column. Read that post first for some background.
The biggest difference from the first report is that I've removed the 130+ in-store items that are on close-out. It seemed unfair to include these since the PLCB intends to remove them from the in-store selection. I've also removed the twelve spirits that are listed in fewer than eight stores (and not available online or by SLO) since these listings tend to be inventory errors, and no product is actually available in the listed stores.
The strangest result from this report is that the state seems to be using an all-or-nothing strategy in deciding where to stock spirits. The "premium selection" stores, of which there are seventy across the state, apparently represent an improvement of no more than 10% over the standard fare. The online store, which is supposed to improve product selection even further, contributes a paltry 6% more spirits. Tequila, bourbon and scotch are the only three categories in which the PLCB seems to be taking much advantange of the limited-availability and online-only options—augmenting the standard selection in each category by 25%, 33%, and 45% respectively.
The effect of removing the close-out and practically-unavailable spirits was dramatic in some categories. Cordials and Liqueurs lost almost a quarter of non-SLO items. Rye went from eight spirits down to only five: Jim Beam, (ri)1, Wild Turkey, Sazerac 6yr and Thomas Handy. The single non-SLO Armagnac disappeared, since only one store has stock. These differences underscore the fact that the PLCB product catalog isn't a direct representation of the selection available in stores.
There is some good news out of all of this. I'm told that the PLCB folks in Harrisburg are well aware that their spirits selection and allocation could be improved, and they're considering their options. Hopefully we'll see some improvements in the future.
The biggest difference from the first report is that I've removed the 130+ in-store items that are on close-out. It seemed unfair to include these since the PLCB intends to remove them from the in-store selection. I've also removed the twelve spirits that are listed in fewer than eight stores (and not available online or by SLO) since these listings tend to be inventory errors, and no product is actually available in the listed stores.
| Spirit Category | 100+ stores | 8 - 99 stores | Online only | SLO only | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absinthe | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| Amari | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| American Whiskey | 19 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 37 |
| Aperitif | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Aquavit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Armagnac | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 24 |
| Bourbon | 30 | 9 | 1 | 24 | 64 |
| Brandy - Unflavored | 13 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 37 |
| Brandy - Flavored | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 15 |
| Cachaça | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 14 |
| Calvados | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 13 |
| Canadian Whisky | 16 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 26 |
| Cognac | 17 | 2 | 1 | 43 | 63 |
| Cordials and Liqueurs | 116 | 10 | 5 | 270 | 401 |
| Cream Liqueurs | 19 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 40 |
| Eaux de Vie | 4 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 44 |
| Gin | 23 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 56 |
| Grain Alcohol | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Grappa | 2 | 1 | 2 | 63 | 68 |
| Irish Whiskey | 11 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 32 |
| Mezcal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 14 |
| Other Whiskey | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Pisco | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Rum - Unflavored | 34 | 2 | 1 | 82 | 119 |
| Rum - Flavored | 39 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 71 |
| Rye Whiskey | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 12 |
| Scotch | 48 | 12 | 10 | 148 | 218 |
| Shochu/Soju | 2 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 21 |
| Tequila | 49 | 6 | 6 | 85 | 146 |
| Vermouth | 7 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 23 |
| Vodka - Unflavored | 63 | 2 | 2 | 72 | 139 |
| Vodka/Gin - Flavored | 125 | 0 | 0 | 127 | 252 |
| Total | 657 | 66 | 42 | 1221 | 1986 |
The strangest result from this report is that the state seems to be using an all-or-nothing strategy in deciding where to stock spirits. The "premium selection" stores, of which there are seventy across the state, apparently represent an improvement of no more than 10% over the standard fare. The online store, which is supposed to improve product selection even further, contributes a paltry 6% more spirits. Tequila, bourbon and scotch are the only three categories in which the PLCB seems to be taking much advantange of the limited-availability and online-only options—augmenting the standard selection in each category by 25%, 33%, and 45% respectively.
The effect of removing the close-out and practically-unavailable spirits was dramatic in some categories. Cordials and Liqueurs lost almost a quarter of non-SLO items. Rye went from eight spirits down to only five: Jim Beam, (ri)1, Wild Turkey, Sazerac 6yr and Thomas Handy. The single non-SLO Armagnac disappeared, since only one store has stock. These differences underscore the fact that the PLCB product catalog isn't a direct representation of the selection available in stores.
There is some good news out of all of this. I'm told that the PLCB folks in Harrisburg are well aware that their spirits selection and allocation could be improved, and they're considering their options. Hopefully we'll see some improvements in the future.
