Liquor Clearance Not Linked to Privatization

About 400 liquor and wine labels will go on clearance at state stores, beginning March 1.
Liquor Control Board spokeswoman Stacey Witalec says the sell-off, known as delisting, is designed to get rid of unpopular items, so state stores can fill their shelf-space with other types of liquor.


"There are a number, for example, of vodkas that have a flavored vodka like raspberry. We necessarily don't need about five different companies selling the same thing if one of theirs isn't moving. So what we'll do is we'll de-list the one that isn't moving with consumers, and we'll list another product that the company brings forward to us in that place."

Witalec says the move has nothing to do with Republican lawmakers' plans to try and privatize state stores.
"Absolutely not. This is a process we go through very frequently to make sure we're bringing the most frequented and most asked-for products to our consumers in the way that they want to see them. This could be a change from a glass bottle to a plastic bottle for a various product."

Most of the delisted items are wines and flavored vodkas, and others are cheaper and smaller-sized liquor. About 12 percent of the spirits sold in state stores are getting the hook.
The new items will begin showing up on the shelves later this year.