Liquor store owners are toasting Schenectady County officials for throwing back holiday sales restrictions.
The Schenectady County Legislature on Tuesday, March 13, unanimously approved removing restrictions imposed on the retail sale of wine and liquor during certain holidays. The county limits the sale of alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption from 9 a.m. to noon on New Year’s, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Thanksgiving Day. The changed restrictions will allow sales on the five holidays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Rensselaer County will be the only remaining county in the Capital District restricting sales on such holidays. State law bars the retail sale of liquor and wine on Christmas Day.
Ernie Darrah, manager of Personal Wine Cellar, said he was shocked to find out about the restrictions on Thanksgiving. His family’s previous experience in the industry was in Albany County, so the early closure took an unexpected chunk of his business away.
If one of Darrah’s sales representatives hadn’t stopped in he would have kept selling long past noon, until 6 p.m.
“We were very upset to know that we would lose six hours of business,” Darrah said. “We cleaned up and used the remainder of the day to decorate for Christmas, we had to turn away dozens of customers that came knocking at our door.”
After Thanksgiving, Darrah contacted the Chamber of Schenectady County seeking guidance to lift the restrictions. He admitted he debated joining the Chamber before opening his business in October, but said, “It was money well spent.”
Jim Klump, owner of Scotia Wines & Spirits, said the county is also losing out on sales tax revenue, which he estimated at around $35,000 for the five days.
“Citizens of Schenectady County are going to purchase their holiday spirits somewhere on these five holidays, why not keep the sales tax revenue in Schenectady County where it belongs?” Klump said.
On an average day at Klump’s store on Mohawk Avenue, he collects around $200 worth of sales tax for the county. On peak days, which the holidays are expected to be, he collects from $400 to $750 in sales tax.
“The county is losing somewhere between $1,500 to $2,000 in sales tax as my regular customers drive past my closed store on their way to Saratoga County to purchase their holiday wines and spirits,” he said.
Darrah said not every storeowner will want to open their doors on the holidays, but he would gladly open his.
John Sabol, owner of Country Wine & Spirits, said the wine and liquor business is very concentrated around the holidays.
“Around the holiday time, we do a majority of our business,” Sabol said. “This law will not only put money into the tax coffers for Schenectady County, it will put money into our pockets as small businesses people as well — I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.”
The New York State Liquor Authority still needs to hold a hearing on the change.
Legislator Martin Finn, D-Glenville, said he thought it was important to support county business and approve the change.
“They are at a competitive disadvantage to the counties close to us,” Finn said. “Those last minute shoppers like me have to go out and get their party favors, but they have to go somewhere else to do it.”
