HARRISBURG, Pa. – David Wojnar, vice president of state government relations for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), testified today at a Pennsylvania Senate Law and Justice Committee hearing that an increase in spirits outlets will result in convenience for consumers and increased revenue for the commonwealth.
“Pennsylvania drastically lags behind other control states in the number of spirits outlets available – forcing consumers to travel long distances or forgo purchasing spirits altogether and ultimately reducing the amount of revenue received by the commonwealth,” Wojnar said. “Increasing the number of stores will give spirits consumers improved access and convenience, similar to what is already in place for wine and beer, and bring Pennsylvania closer to the national average for retail availability for spirits. We are thankful to the committee for giving this issue the attention it deserves and look forward to working with our partners in the state to usher these bills through the legislative process.”
If Pennsylvania had the same number of spirits stores as the average mid-Atlantic state per population, Pennsylvania would have closer to 3,000 stores, not the roughly 600 it has now. In control states, there are 2.59 retail outlets per 10,000 people but only 0.65 per 10,000 people in Pennsylvania.