Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores Revenue Benchmarks
The average beer, wine, and liquor stores business in the United States generates $1.1M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 31,497 beer, wine, and liquor stores businesses in the U.S., employing 184,364 workers with an average profit margin of 4.0%.
What Does a Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores Business Actually Do?
Retail stores selling packaged beer, wine, and spirits for off-premise consumption. Licensing rules vary widely by state — some are franchise-only, some limit product mix by store type.
Who buys: Adult consumers for home consumption, event hosts, restaurants (in some states).
Average Revenue
$1.1M
per year
Profit Margin
4.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$194K
per year
Total Businesses
31,497
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$45K
small business avg
Labor Cost
14.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
N/A
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
9.5
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores Charge?
Liquor stores earn 20–35% margin depending on category.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Beer (case) | 20–30% markup |
Wine (bottle) | 30–50% markup |
Spirits | 25–40% markup |
Premium/rare bottles | 50–100%+ markup |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete beer, wine, and liquor stores business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a beer, wine, and liquor stores business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the beer, wine, and liquor stores industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost of goods sold | $61 | $698K | Wholesale cost of merchandise purchased for resale. Retail's biggest expense. |
Wages & benefits | $14 | $159K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $8 | $93K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $4 | $47K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $8 | $93K | Utilities, POS fees, shrinkage, insurance, store maintenance. |
Net profit | $4 | $45K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
8.24%
openings/year
Closure Rate
7.16%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+0.34%
annual
Businesses Closed
2,101
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores Business?
Startup Cost
$75K – $400K
Break-Even
63 months
5-Year Survival Rate
48.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a beer, wine, and liquor stores business do?
- Retail stores selling packaged beer, wine, and spirits for off-premise consumption. Licensing rules vary widely by state — some are franchise-only, some limit product mix by store type. Adult consumers for home consumption, event hosts, restaurants (in some states).
- How much do beer, wine, and liquor stores charge?
- Liquor stores earn 20–35% margin depending on category. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average beer, wine, and liquor stores make per year?
- The average beer, wine, and liquor stores business generates $1.1M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $45K per year at a 4.0% profit margin.
- How many beer, wine, and liquor stores businesses are there in the US?
- There are 31,497 beer, wine, and liquor stores businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 184,364 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a beer, wine, and liquor stores business?
- Startup costs for a beer, wine, and liquor stores business typically range from $75K to $400K, with a 5-year survival rate of 48.0%.
Industry Growth & Survival
The beer, wine, and liquor stores industry is relatively stable — with a net job growth rate of 0.3%. Entry and exit rates are balanced at 8.2% and 7.2% respectively.
Approximately 69% of beer, wine, and liquor stores businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 2,101 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The beer, wine, and liquor stores industry has grown 29% since 2000 (from 22,919 to 29,649 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores revenue with other industries: