TULSA, Okla. -- — It's the end of the busiest season for liquor stores. This New Year's Day, places like Parkhill's are enjoying an extra day of holiday sales.
"We haven't seen a huge volume in sales but we've definitely had some people coming in who were pretty grateful that they had the option so we'll take the information and decide what we're going to do next year," Parkhill's sommelier James Andrews said.
Stores like Parkhill's said they were lucky with the amount of business that came through the door during the holiday season, but sales are still going down going into 2019.
"We have been getting feedback from customers. I think the main thing is trying to keep our prices as competitively as we can, but not compromising the value proposition that we have with the service and the selection," owner Tina Parkhill said.
Parkhill saw a decline in sales by close to 15 percent over the last three months. They plan to look at shifting trends in the year ahead.
"Some of the less expensive brands definitely we're selling less of because I assume we're seeing a little bit more competition from the store but we're also doing a lot of business in the high end items that people can't get in grocery stores," Andrews said.
At the same time, they're hoping to draw new customers with refrigerated and non-alcoholic items. They believe they'll continue to get support as a small business.
"We are Tulsans, we are here in Tulsa. We live here, all of our money stays here. I think that's important to a lot of our customers and I think sometimes that often outweighs the opportunity to save a dollar on a bottle," Parkhill said.
As appreciation for things like craft beer continues to grow, this team is feeling optimistic.
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