Mississippi ABC liquor sales backlogged

The Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control brought its system back online, after announcing it would temporarily suspend liquor orders after receiving complaints.

TEMPORARILY SUSPEND ORDERS TOGET CAUGHTUP.BUT NOW THAT DECISION HAS BEENREVERSEDDUE TO COMPLAINTS FROM LIQUORAND WINEVENDORS.

WHILE SOME BUSINESSES ARE FACINGHARD TIMESDURING THE PANDEMIC, FIGURINGOUT A WAY TOSTAY AFLOAT - THE MISSISSIPPIALCOHOLIBEVERAGE CONTROL SAYS IT'S THEOPPOSITE FOR LIQUOR AND WINESTORES.DURING THIS PANDEMIC,MISSISSIPPIANS HAVE BEENDRINKING A LOT MORE THAN THEYTYPICALLY DO.ABC SPOKESPERSON, JACOB MANLEYSAYSTHEIR DISTRIBUTION CENTER INGLUCKSTADT MOVES 119-THOUSANDCASES PER DAY.BUT WITH AN UNPRECEDENTED DEMANDFOR LIQUOR AND WINE, THEY'RE AWEEK BEHIND ON GETTING THOSESHIPMENTS OUTTO VENDORS.SO THE PLAN WAS TO STOP TAKIORDERS AT THE ABC WAREHOUSE FORA WEEK.

THAT WAY WE COULDCATCH UP BECAUSE WE ARE 90-THOUSAND CASES BEHIND RIGHTNOW.THE MISSISSIPPI ABC ANNOUNCED ITWOULD PAUSE ORDERS, THEN QUICKLYREVERSED THEDECISION FRIDAY BECAUSE OFBACKLASHFROM RETAILERS.WE'VE NEVER HAD ORDERS LIKETHIS.IT'S UNPRECEDENTED.

SCOTTJACKSON OPERATES COLONY WINEMARKET AND COLONY BISTRO INMADISON.HE SAYS THE PANDEMIC HAS MOREPEOPLEENTERTAINING AT HOME, RATHERTHAN GOING OUTTO RESTAURANTS TO ORDER DRINKS.SO THEY'RE BUYING MORE AT THESTORE INSTEAD OFRESTAURANTS RIGHT NOW.

JACKSONSAYS THE INCREASED DEMAND DURINGTHE PANDEMIC ISN'T THE ONLYISSUESLOWING DOWN DELIVERIES.

HE SAYSTHE MISSISSIPPI ABC HASN'TRECIEVEDANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THESTATE IN MORETHAN 20 YEARDURING THAT TIME SPAN,MISSISSIPPIANS ARE CONSUMING 60TO 70 PERCENT MORE WINE ANDSPIRITS THAN THEY DID BACK THEN,SOTHEY'RE SIMPLY BUSTING AT THESEAMS. THERE'S NO ROOM.

THEYDON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE THERETO GET THE TRUCKS IN, GETTHE TRUCKS OUT.DURING THE PANDEMIC, IN PARTBECAUSE THEIR BUDGET FOR THEYEAR HAS NOT YET BEENFINALIZED.SO JUST THEY'RE DOING THE BESTTHEY CAN TOFULFILL ORDERS FOR THEIRVENDORS.TROY... MAMA NATURE'S JUICE BAR IN