![]() ![]() In summer, Pattani sees a sharp uptick in sales of blended white wines. Last fall, the store underwent its first major renovation, which included the construction of the store’s Tasting and Education Room. The store also boasts two new, temperature-controlled wine coolers, a new cooler for craft beers, and a new personal-computer network as well as new software tools. This was brought about in part by the tastings and classes he has hosted every Friday and Pattani reported another development: he does a brisk business in higher-priced wines and spirits. Saturday since the beginning of the year. Products are in a variety of price categories, including higher-priced bottles that many customers might not otherwise try. We ended up having to back order all of them.” “We recently held our first class on single-malt scotch – and all of them were at price points of $100 a bottle,” said Pattani. Likewise, a Valentine’s Day wine appreciation class saw brisk sales of bottles priced at $19.99 and $29.99, while customers mostly ignored the $9.99 “value” wines. For a recent Cinco de Mayo class, Pattani brought in the state brand manager for the Patrón portfolio, highlighting its tequilas.It's almost closing time for the state's long-standing exemption on sales taxes for alcohol.Ĭome Aug. ![]() 1, the state's recently raised 6.25 percent sales tax will apply to alcoholic beverages, a cause for concern for sellers on the state's northern and southern borders. In the north, merchants fear the new taxes will drive business to sales tax-free New Hampshire, while stores on the southern edge of the state will lose some of the competitive advantage they have enjoyed over Connecticut and Rhode Island. Proponents argue that applying the state's new 6.25 percent sales tax to alcohol will bring in nearly $80 million for substance abuse programs. They also note that New Hampshire charges more in excise taxes on beer than Massachusetts, so the disparity in prices caused by the sales tax will not be as high.īut the merchants say Massachusetts is filling its coffers at their expense, and unfairly. “It's a tax upon a tax,” said Chris Pompei, whose family has run Wyman's Liquors, with two stores in Leominster and one in Fitchburg, for 40 years. Pompei said the state already charges excise taxes that are built into the posted prices on the shelves. Shoppers picking up a $24 case of beer already pay $10 in excise taxes, Mr. Pompei said, while a $10 bottle of wine includes $3.50 in taxes. Now the sales tax will be on top of that. “It really puts an undue burden on customers,” Mr. ![]() Jacob Gomes, who owns Gomes Liquors at 58 Ashby State Road, Fitchburg, said he's concerned about the impact of the higher prices when his store is 10 miles from the New Hampshire line. “I just hope my customers will be loyal,” said Mr. Gomes, who collected 600 signatures from customers opposed to the tax increase. ![]()
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