Sunday Sales Help Some, Hurt Other Local Liquor Stores

It has been over a month since Connecticut . The new law has benefited some Ridgefield liquor stores and hindered others, with shop location appearing to be a major factor.

For , the new law is bringing in a lot of business, which owner attributes to his location in Copps Hill Plaza.

“We’ve had a positive reaction to it and this is always a busy plaza on Sundays,” said Wippermann. “Also being a border town, lots of people come in instead of going to New York—I’d say about half the customers say ‘I don’t have to go to New York anymore’ –it’s more than I thought.”

“It covers the expenses and gives us a boost in sales. For me, it’s worth it,” said Wippermann.

For Main Street-located , Sunday sales have brought a slow but gradual increase in sales, said Melange’s co-owner Laura Jackson. Overall, Sunday sales have been “decent, [and] creeping up slowly” although the increase was “miniscule.”

“I think everyone’s still in shock—it’s taking them a bit to remember, ‘Oh yeah, we can get wine today!’” said Jackson.

She said that when the holidays hit she would have a better idea if the new liquor law truly proves its worth for Melange, although it hasn’t hurt them, either.

“So far it hasn’t impeded us in any way shape or form,” she said.

Like Wippermann, Jackson said location was a key driver for sales—yet for stores nestled away further in town, Sunday sales have hindered business.

For , which is situated across from , Sunday sales are an unwanted obligation which brings more work hours and few sales.

“From what I’ve noticed, we’ll get sales every now and again, but it’s been slow, if not the slowest [day] actually,” said Cellar XV , who runs the shop with his parents. “It’s kind of been a burden on myself and my mom. Not only does it take away our one day off a week, we’re not making much from it.”

Again, location plays a factor:

“I talk to some of the distributors and they say the people who benefit from them are the people who are in plazas with lots of foot traffic” such as shopping centers, said Thompson.

He said that Cellar XV remains open on Sunday so they won’t lose out on potential customers who may subsequently shop elsewhere.

“We feel obligated,” said Thompson. “It’s a pain.”

Sunday sales for have not only been lackluster, but Saturday sales have been affected as well.

“Sales on Sunday are about a third of the business we normally do. Our Saturday sales are down, too,” said Village store manager Jonathan Weand. “The average weekly sales have stayed the same.”

However, Weand said he did not think the loss in sales was due to the store’s location in the Ridgefield Shopping Center off of Main Street.

Whatever the case may be, for Village the blue law repeal was “not worth it,” said Weand.