Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers Revenue Benchmarks
The average wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers business in the United States generates $30.2M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 2,191 wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers businesses in the U.S., employing 88,618 workers with an average profit margin of 4.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $100K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers Business Actually Do?
Wholesale distributors that buy from wineries, distilleries, and breweries and sell to retailers (liquor stores, restaurants, bars). Three-tier alcohol distribution system means most retailers legally must buy through wholesalers.
Who buys: Retail liquor stores, restaurants, bars, hotels.
Average Revenue
$30.2M
per year
Profit Margin
4.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$746K
per year
Total Businesses
2,191
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$1.2M
small business avg
Labor Cost
12.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$100K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
0.7
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers Charge?
Wine and spirits wholesalers earn 15–30% margin distributing to retailers and restaurants.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Wine wholesale margin | 18–30% |
Spirits wholesale margin | 15–25% |
Craft/specialty spirits margin | 25–40% |
Case pricing (per case discount) | 5–15% off single-bottle |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers 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 wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers 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 | $66 | $19.8M | Cost of inventory bought from manufacturers for resale to retailers or businesses. |
Wages & benefits | $12 | $3.6M | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $8 | $2.5M | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $3 | $1.0M | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $7 | $2.0M | Warehouse operating costs, freight, insurance, POS/ERP systems. |
Net profit | $4 | $1.2M | 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%
openings/year
Closure Rate
6.35%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+3.02%
annual
Businesses Closed
240
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
1 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers business do?
- Wholesale distributors that buy from wineries, distilleries, and breweries and sell to retailers (liquor stores, restaurants, bars). Three-tier alcohol distribution system means most retailers legally must buy through wholesalers. Retail liquor stores, restaurants, bars, hotels.
- How much do wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers charge?
- Wine and spirits wholesalers earn 15–30% margin distributing to retailers and restaurants. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers make per year?
- The average wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers business generates $30.2M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $1.2M per year at a 4.0% profit margin.
- How many wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers businesses are there in the US?
- There are 2,191 wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 88,618 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers business?
- Startup costs for a wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers industry?
- The average employee in the wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers industry earns $100K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 3.0% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (8.0% entry vs 6.4% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 72% of wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 240 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers industry earns $100,121/year. This is significantly above the national average of ~$65K, reflecting the skilled nature of this work. With 6,397 establishments employing 98,707 people, the typical business has about 15 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The wine and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers industry has grown 5% since 2000 (from 3,143 to 3,313 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers revenue with other industries: