The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) gross sales hit an all-time record of $642 million in Fiscal Year 2015, an increase of $21 million – or 3.4% over the previous fiscal year, according to unaudited NHLC sales figures.
Total liquor net profits transferred to the New Hampshire General Fund reached a record $151.7 million, which is used to support many programs including education, health and social services, transportation and natural resource protection.
“The New Hampshire Liquor Commission is committed to the generating record revenue year after year for the taxpayers of New Hampshire,” said NHLC Chairman Joseph W. Mollica.
Both spirits and wine sales grew in Fiscal Year 2015, which ended June 30. Total spirits sales were approximately $357 million, an increase of 3.5 percent over the prior year, and total wine sales were approximately $284 million, an increase of 3.3 percent.
During that time NHLC sold 23.7 million bottles of spirits and 29.2 million bottles of wine.
Since 2012, NHLC has renovated or relocated 19 NH Liquor & Wine Outlets in the following communities: Bedford, Concord, Gilford, Hooksett, Hampstead, Lebanon, Lincoln, Londonderry, Manchester, Merrimack, Milford, Nashua, North Hampton, Peterborough, Plaistow, Portsmouth, Salem and West Chesterfield.
Recent renovations, relocations and new stores include:
- Salem – the largest NH Liquor & Wine Outlet to date opened in June in the Rockingham Mall shopping plaza in Salem. The new 24,000-plus-square-foot location is more than double the size of the previous South Broadway store and is anticipated to generate more than $25.7 million in annual sales – a $2 million increase over Fiscal Year 2014 figures.
- Hooksett – two new state-of-the-art 20,000-square-foot NH Liquor & Wine Outlet stores opened in September to anchor the Common Man Restaurant’s redevelopment of the rest areas along Interstate 93 North and South in Hooksett. The two new NH Liquor & Wine Outlets are more than double the size of the previous locations and they are expected to generate approximately $40.5 million in sales combined – a $6 million increase over the previous locations.
- Londonderry – a new 9,000-square-foot NH Liquor & Wine Outlet opened in March as part of the new Londonderry Travel Plaza off Exit 5 at the intersection of Route 28 and Interstate 93. The travel plaza also features a 24-hour Red Arrow Diner, Sunoco Travel Center with a convenience store, and fueling stations including diesel fuel and a truck center.
- New Hampton – a new 12,000-square-foot NH Liquor & Wine Outlet is under construction on Route 104. The new store replaces an 8,000-square-foot location and is expected to generate significantly more sales volume due to its close proximity to Interstate 93.
- Epping – a new 12,000-square-foot NH Liquor & Wine Outlet will be built in the bustling Brickyard Square shopping center at the junction of Routes 101 and 125.
Featured Image: NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica addresses a crowd at the June grand opening of New Hampshire’s largest NH Liquor & Wine Outlet, located at the Rockingham Mall shopping plaza in Salem, NH.
