Auditor: Municipal liquor stores break sales records for 18th consecutive year

Minnesota's municipal liquor stores broke sales records for the 18^th consecutive year, selling more than $332.8 million in 2013, according to a report by Minnesota State Auditor Rebecca Otto.

Otto's annual report on municipal liquor store operations showed an increase in sales of $3.2 million, or 1 percent over 2012. The stores, which were originally opened to control sales of alcohol, have since provided extra cash for communities, as well as access in areas that may not attract privately-owned businesses.

In 2013, 205 Minnesota cities ran 237 municipal liquor stores. Of those, 111 operated both on-sale and off-sale establishments, while 94 cities were off-sale only.

Highlights from the report include:

- Sales at individual outlets ranged from $125,051 in Round Lake to $15.4 million in Lakeville.

- The top nine sellers were located in the greater Metro area. The 10^th and 11^th largest sellers, Fergus Falls and Detroit, represented western Minnesota.

- Despite record sales, the stores' $26.8 million combined net profit dropped $500,522, or 1.8 percent, from 2012.

- Metro operations are larger and more profitable than outstate. Although 19 of the 205 cities running municipal liquor operations are in the metro, they represent 37 percent of sales and 36.5 percent of municipal liquor operations' net profit. Metro sales averaged $3.2 million in 2013, compared to $1.1 million in all of outstate Minnesota.

- More Minnesota cities reported net losses in 2013. This year, 33 reported losses compared to 25 in 2012. All cities with losses were in greater Minnesota.