Mass. Sees Unbelievable Spike In Online Alcohol Sales During COVID Pandemic

The state of Massachusetts has seen a major spike in sales of alcohol purchased online during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

State alcohol regulators report a 300% uptick in direct-to-consumer alcohol deliveries since the pandemic began last year, Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg announced during a virtual state budget hearing on Thursday via the Associated Press.

State law requires shipments to be limited to 12 cases of wine per year to a Massachusetts residents. Deliveries require a signature from a consumer age 21 years or older.

As treasurer, Goldberg oversees the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, which helps enforce Massachusetts' liquor laws, as well as enforcing the state's COVID-19 protocols outlined by Governor Charlie Baker throughout the ongoing pandemic.

Inspectors began visiting more than 21,000 licenses alcohol businesses in the state of Massachusetts in August and have since found 98% met the governor's executive orders in relation to the ongoing pandemic.

Sales initially took a dip during the first few months of the pandemic, which included a decrease of $244 million in March, April and May 2020 compared to the previous year.

“Since then, our revenues have stabilized and improved,” said Goldberg, who has revised the lottery’s 2021 fiscal year net profit projection from $940 million to $985 million.

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