“ We will need to continue working and thinking outside the box , because you never know what the next issue is going to be and what the next new trend is .”
� in Chicago ’ s Daily Herald newspaper , Time Out Chicago , Suburban Life newspapers , and various magazines . She is also the author of several children ’ s books . Follow her @ MelissaNSherwin .
WYOMING LIQUOR DIVISION
Unlike bailment states , Wyoming owns all of its warehouse products and splits all of its products down to the single bottle , a process in place since the mid-1990s . This is because the majority of the state ’ s 1,428 licensees are small-business owners . 50 % of Wyoming liquor retailers spend less than $ 25,000 per year at the division , and are very much “ mom and pop ” establishments . Only 5.7 % of Wyoming liquor retailers spend more
than $ 500,000 per year .
This breakdown requires a different type of business model than when dealing with larger corporations . By selling products by the single bottle , small establishments can still have access to in-demand products without having to purchase and store items in high quantities .
Special orders also continue to grow in popularity , and the division processed more than 78,000 special order cases last year . Other trends that continue to grow are multi-sized / multi-packaged products . Many brands now offer the same product in various sizes and forms , including ready-todrink packaging , which has transformed the way that the division does business .
“ We need to have space for all these additional ready-to-drink quantities that consumers are asking for ,” Henson says . “ We are trying to keep up with the various categories , packaging and even sizes , and need to be able to quickly identify and obtain the products our retailers want .”
Anticipating continued growth and increased demand for additional products , the state is also looking at ways of maximizing
“ We will need to continue working and thinking outside the box , because you never know what the next issue is going to be and what the next new trend is .”
– Brenda Henson , Director of the Department of Revenue
space in its 145,000 square-foot warehouse , which currently stores 2,391 different wines and spirits . After optimizing efficiencies to identify additional space for future use , the division can then determine whether additional product space is needed and begin to plan accordingly .
The division also hopes to expand education and outreach programs after the ERP is up and running . Currently an active member of the Governor ’ s Council on Impaired Driving , the Wyoming Prevention Action Alliance , and the Wyoming Information Analysis Team , the division always seeks new partnership opportunities and is interested in expanding training offerings , budget permitting .
The division also hopes to place a renewed emphasis on compliance in the coming year by resuming teaching a liquor licensing class at Casper College for local licensing authorities that was discontinued during the pandemic . It also plans to add an additional compliance staff position to the team soon .
With so much innovation underway and forward-thinking leadership at the helm , the division is well positioned to move successfully into the future . •
Melissa Sherwin is a freelance writer and marketing communications strategist from Chicago , IL . Her work has appeared
� in Chicago ’ s Daily Herald newspaper , Time Out Chicago , Suburban Life newspapers , and various magazines . She is also the author of several children ’ s books . Follow her @ MelissaNSherwin .
16 StateWays | www . stateways . com | Winter 2022