Beverage Group Vice President Jeremy Nedelka Tel: 763-383-4413 email: jnedelka @ epgmediallc. com

Editor, Off-Premise Kyle Swartz Tel: 763-383-4447 email: kswartz @ epgmediallc. com

Contributing Editors Melissa Sherwin Melissa Dowling Maura Keller

Sales Managers Mark Marcon Tel: 763-383-4456 email: mmarcon @ epgmediallc. com

Debbie Rittenberg Tel: 763-383-4455 email: drittenberg @ epgmediallc. com

Senior Art Director Nicole Siewert

Sales & Traffic Coordinator Kurt Eisinger Tel: 763-383-4420 email: keisinger @ epgmediallc. com

Senior Product Manager, Data & Insights Marina Velez Tel: 763-383-4453 email: mvelez @ epgmediallc. com

LIST RENTAL Kris Grauer email: kgrauer @ npsmediagroup. com Tel: 203-822-7933

REPRINTS For more information on e-prints or reprints from Beverage Dynamics magazine, contact Wright’ s Media, MBrewer @ wrightsmedia. com- Marcia Brewer, 877-652-5295.

Sr VP / Audience Development Joanne Juda-Prainito Operations Director Bernadette Wohlman CEO Marion Minor

WHAT’ S IT TAKE TO BE A TOP 100 RETAILER? Even during a normal year this is a challenge worthy of recognition. Top 100 Retailers represent the best of the best in the beverage alcohol off-premise industry. These stores set the trends, innovate extensively, and capture the most sales and consumer loyalty across the country.

Already a tough task, attaining this level of alcohol retail reached new heights of difficulty during 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic complicated business in ways that nobody could have ever predicted. Suddenly, just opening the front door each morning was a health hazard. Protecting customers and staff against an invisible, invading, deadly threat became our pressing priority.

Adaptation was everything. The pandemic ushered in national lockdowns that left consumers sheltering in place. As retailers implemented a host of new safety procedures, they also had to alter business for the new normal. This meant curbside pickup, alcohol delivery, doubling down on ecommerce. Anyone without a modern website had to build one quickly. Otherwise, you no longer met customers where they were.

There were shortages. The pandemic roiled production and wholesale systems worldwide. Aluminum was already in short supply before 2020, due to the boom in seltzers and RTDs. As Covid settled in, aluminum stocks dwindled, followed later by glass. Add in the strained distribution systems, and some of most popular beverage alcohol products were commonly out of stock. Simply maintaining SKUs was hard during the time of the virus.

Covid-19 presented a generational challenge. Retailers everywhere stepped up to meet it. This was far from easy. The most memorable moment for me during our in-person Top 100 Retailers banquet in Austin last June involved Mike Moreno, co-owner of Top 100 winner Moreno’ s Liquors. After the event, he personally thanked us for the award, explaining how much this recognition meant after a monumentally difficult year.

Making the Top 100 is always an honor. But for those who earned this accolade after what we all just experienced, we say: Congratulations for your achievement in overcoming an unthinkable obstacle. Everybody deserves to be very proud of their efforts in 2020.

Beverage Dynamics is published by EPG Media & Specialty Information Editorial and executive offices at 10405 6th Ave N, Suite 210, Minneapolis 55441 Telephone: 763-383-4400 Fax: 763-383-4499

Kyle Swartz Editor, Off-Premise

www. beveragedynamics. com 2021 Top 100 Issue • Beverage Dynamics 5