New, 'Customer Friendly' Pa. Liquor Store Opens In South Philly
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has opened a newly renovated, customer-friendly liquor store in South Philadelphia.
With a ceremonial popping of a cork and a toast, LCB officials christened the Fine Wine & Good Spirits store on South Columbus Boulevard, near Ikea.
Reopened after a seven-month transformation, the store now features a center table where customers can ask questions about wine pairings, and there's even a tasting table in the back.
Customer George Munce of South Philadelphia recalls the store before the renovation.
"It was like a dungeon compared to this," he said.
LCB chairman PJ Stapleton remembers it, too.
"There were boxes everywhere, the product was disorganized. It was very difficult to navigate," he says. "Now, it's very easy to navigate."
Dorothy McShane of South Philly agrees that the transformation is like night and day:
"A lot of times it was a little cluttered with stackouts out on the floor and stuff like that. But this is very upscale."
And Stapleton says two other prototype stores, in New Hope and Harrisburg, have seen 30 percent sales increases.
Stapleton says the plan is to expand the customer-friendly concept statewide.
Reported by Mike DeNardo, KYW Newsradio 1060.
