03-04-2025
These 10 municipal liquor operations had the best sales in 2023
Municipal liquor stores in Minnesota had another big year in 2023, according to the newly issued State Auditor's annual review.
The state's municipal liquor stores had a collective net profit of $31.6 million, a 15.3% increase from the prior year. However, that's down slightly from pandemic-era highs, which peaked at $36 million in 2020.
In total, 176 cities had municipal liquor stores in 2023, 85 of which operate both on- and off-sale establishments. Between those towns, the state has 210 stores that are included in the report.
In 2023, liquor stores saw a decline in beer and wine sales, but benefited from the legalization and proliferation of THC drinks.
""This report marks the onset of a shift in consumer preferences – beer and wine sales began to decline, while spirit sales remained steady. Meanwhile, THC beverage and edible sales were beginning to grow significantly, resulting in increased operational profitability,' said Paul Kaspszak, Executive Director of Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association.
Profits from municipal liquor stores are used to reduce property tax levies and purchase city equipment like police cars, fire trucks, and other expenditures.
So, which cities had the most sales? It varies based on whether you're looking at total sales or net profit. Here are the top 10, measured both ways.
Lakeville — $22,692,555
Richfield — $13,935,832
Edina — $13,330,018
Eden Prairie — $12,069,015
Apple Valley — $10,782,386
Detroit Lakes — $9,035,828
Columbia Heights — $9,054,922
Bemidji — $8,437,168
Alexandria — $8,098,739
Elk River — $7,978,894
All the cities in the top 10 exclusively operate off-sale establishments. The highest ranked city that offers both was Wayzata, which ranked 15th with sales of $7,123,087.
Spring Grove (net profit $91,223, sales of $193,917)*
Lake Park: 24.1% (net profit $254,644, sales of $1,058,765)
Ogema: 19.9% (net profit $87,707, sales of $440,079)
Hadley: 17.8% (net profit $54,172, sales of $303,856)
Princeton: 17.3% (net profit $1,000,044, sales of $5,784,215)
Fergus Falls: 16.7% (net profit $1,252,562, sales of $7,487,100)
Mapleton: 16.1% (net profit $103,934, sales of $644,287)
Marshall: 15.7% (net profit $1,158,807, sales of $7,376,044)
Fairmont: 15.5% (net profit $734,166, sales of $4,738,143)
Perham: 15.5% (net profit $701,471, sales of $4,514,485)
Spring Grove is an outlier, as the city was required to have a public hearing in 2023 and closed their liquor store operation mid-year.
