Robbinsdale Municipal Liquor Store Expects Profitable 2019, Sunday Sales Made No Difference

A state audit released this week shows municipal liquor stores recorded record profits in 2018. The proceeds are poured back into city budgets. Of the 19 metro cities with liquor stores, only one reported a loss: the city of Robbinsdale.

Last fall, Robbinsdale moved its municipal store from Robin Center to a new location next to Hy-Vee. Robbinsdale city officials attribute a $30,677 loss to the move. But this year, they expect to bring in profits, drawing in more revenue than its previous location.

“The new store location is very good for us,” said Robbinsdale City Manager Marcia Glick. “The overall sales over there are much better. We’re selling a higher-end product. The profits are coming right where they were projected to be. And we think it’s a great benefit to be where we are at.”

If you take out costs associated with the move, Glick says the actual net income for Robbinsdale Wine & Spirits was more than $190,000. Glick also says the Robbinsdale store didn’t see a benefit from the Sunday sales law that took effect in July of 2017. She sales remained about the same with the extra day open, with overall profits slightly lower because of the extra day of staffing costs.

As far as the state audit, one other local city reported significant sales. Brooklyn Center’s two city-run stores posted $6.7 million in gross sales, ninth highest in the state. Robbinsdale posted $4.3 million in gross sales in 2018, 24th highest out of 190 Minnesota cities that run their own liquor stores.

Brooklyn Center | Robbinsdale