Update:
After originally announcing a temporary suspension on all new liquor orders and special orders, the Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control has decided to rethink their decision.
“We have received numerous concerns from you, our partners, over this step and are taking another look at our options. In the meantime, we will be bringing our order system back online today with the same order limits that were previously in place. Our hope is to find a solution that will allow the ABC to clear up the backlog while still providing our customers with the services they need to keep their businesses running smoothly,” the Department of Revenue said in a new statement.
Their original announcement stated that they intended to suspend orders to catch up on approximately 100,000 backlogged orders as sales have drastically increased during the ongoing pandemic.
“Please be aware that with the current orders in our system, you will experience delivery times of one week or more until we can find a way to get this backlog cleared. We thank you for your patience with us while we search for a viable solution to meet everyone’s needs. We know we are all in this together,” the statement concluded.
Look below for more from the original story.
Original Report:
The COVID-19 pandemic has subsequently led to a sharp increase in alcohol sales. Due to this spike, the Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control has announced a temporary suspension of all new liquor orders and special orders until Monday, July 20, as they attempt to catch up on backlogged orders.
*It is important to note that this order does not mean that liquor stores will close during this period of time.
“The Mississippi ABC has experienced unprecedented growth in its liquor orders over the last four months. We are experiencing a 29% increase in case sales. We have shipped over 1,330,000 cases of wine and spirits in the last 4 months. This has resulted in orders taking an average of one week for delivery. We currently have approximately 100,000 cases in our system waiting to be delivered,” the Department of Revenue’s statement said.
Further explaining their decision to suspend new orders, the department detailed the strain that this increase has placed on its delivery system.
“The ABC warehouse lines are designed to hold 17,000 cases, which leaves ABC employees continuously filling the lines on top of shipping record cases every night. The demand has taken its toll on not only ABC’s equipment but also its employees. ABC added two overtime days in April, May, and June for a total of six additional shifts for both the day crew and night crew. To further complicate matters, ABC has experienced out of stock inventory for a number of items that the suppliers are having difficulty keeping in stock due to the inflated demands,” DOR said.
The ABC typically delivers orders within 1-2 business days, but customers are currently waiting one week on average, according to DOR.
During this temporary suspension, permittees will still have access to their online system and will be able to use all other functions, but there will be no access to the “New Order” links for retail and special orders.
The full order can be seen, here.
