Trips to buy alcohol may have dipped during this pandemic saturated year, but Pennsylvanians are buying more at a shot.

This fiscal year’s average retail transaction was up to $43.05 from last year’s $35.36, said Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board press secretary Shawn M. Kelly.

“It seems like customers may be buying more (at a time) this year than last year,” he said.

There were about 5.75 million retail transactions totaling $203,379,472 between Dec. 1-26 in 2019; during the same period this year, there were about 5.25 million retail transactions totaling $226,077,643.

During that period in 2019, there were about 13.8 million unit sales (individual items). This year, there were about 14.3 million, Kelly said.

“It seems like we’ve done fewer transactions, but more unit transactions,” he said. “Customers may be buying more this year than last year.”

Reasons are myriad. People could be buying more alcohol to soothe stress, to make fewer trips out to the store, or simply because, why not?

A tender time for bars

People could just be doing more drinking at home rather than bellying up to the neighborhood bar, said Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association.

“I don’t think you’re seeing more alcohol consumption at taverns and licensed restaurants due to mitigation orders. There likely is more consumption being done at house gatherings,” he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic and state government imposed restrictions aimed at stemming have hit taverns hard.

Gov. Tom Wolf on Dec. 10 announced a ban on indoor dining and alcohol sales through 8 a.m. Monday. On Wednesday, he reaffirmed that sales will continue as of Monday.

While patrons can still buy food and liquor to go, that means the traditional New Year’s Eve countdown and toast with your buddies in your favorite taproom is, well, toast.

“For those following the current mitigation order, locations may not offer indoor service,” Moran said. “As a result at locations that are following the rules, we are seeing an uptick in the number of locations getting creative and offering special New Year’s Eve meals to go along with mixed drinks to go,” he said.

“The pandemic has created a situation where taverns and licensed restaurants are rethinking their products and how to market them to survive and follow the rules,” Moran said.

As taverns’ trade drops, beer stores are also seeing sales going flat.

“I should have had a lot of big bar orders over Christmas, and now New Year’s,” said Sharon Ziegenfuss, who owns Zig’s Beverage in Weissport.

“That’s a couple thousand dollars I had last year that I won’t have this year,” she said.

Sales in general have been down since March.

“I don’t think it was quite as busy this year. Since they closed down bars and restaurants, people aren’t going out at all,” Ziegenfuss.

“The few days before Christmas is busy. Usually, people are out sooner than that. You can’t have big gatherings, so people aren’t buying as much,” she said.

Zig’s will be open New Year’s Day, and offers curbside pickup.

Keeping customers safe

Ziegenfuss, like other small business owners, has invested money in sneeze guards, masks and hand sanitizer.

The Liquor Control Board’s Kelly said state stores also have safeguards in place.

“We’re limiting the numbers of customers in the stores at any given time. Employees keep track of numbers of people in store, both staff and customers,” he said.

Masks and social distancing are required.

The stores also ask that customers not root through the bottles.

“If you touch a bottle, please purchase that one,” Kelly said. “Clerks will help.”

Customers can ask for curbside pickup, or order online at finewineandgoodspirits.com. If order is over $99, it’s shipped free.

Kelly acknowledges the safeguards and lines may frustrate some people.

“We ask our customers bring plenty of patience,” he said.