90 YEARS OF NHLC
90 YEARS OF NHLC
Front Row : Michael Therrien , Mark Armaganian , Christina Demers , Joseph Mollica , Nicole Brassard Jordan , James Haggis , April Allen-Clough and Joshua Rosselli . Back Row : Michael Smith , James Richards , Nathen Clive , Kelly Mathews , Edward Gregory , Mark Roy , Robert Smith and Craig Boudreau .
look and feel ,” Mollica says . “ I started with the worst stores we had , and that was a lot of them .”
This rebranding included natural elements of the state . The new look leaned heavily on granite — fitting for the Granite State — along with planks and beams that reflected New Hampshire ’ s woodland culture and environment .
“ We also made our stores cleaner , brighter , with more open space ,” Mollica says . “ Now they feel much more welcoming to female consumers .”
This mirrors an evolution undergone by much of the industry back in the 90s ( perhaps indicating how far behind the NHLC was before Mollica ). Liquor stores had been dark , dingy , and did not necessarily appear safe or family friendly . Better layouts and lighting changed that perception — a welcome development at the NHLC .
“ Customers should never feel unsafe ,” Mollica says . “ Our stores are so well lit now , with open
The New Hampshire Liquor Commission stores underwent significant remodeling when chairman Joseph Mollica took over in 2011 , brightening the stores and improving the look and the layout .
spaces . Every store has video cameras ; everyone is safe .” This strategy extends to another major demographic of the NHLC . “ We get a lot of business from out of state ; we know that represents 50 % of our 12 million annual customers ,” Mollica says . “ We ’ re always trying to find innovative ways to attract these customers into our state .”
Part of the rebranding process included changing state laws , so that landlords and business partners could more easily and affordably invest in property changes . The NHLC worked with New Hampshire politicians to change the stores ’ leasing agreements , for instance .
The landlords and business partners “ pay for those renovations ,” Mollica explains . “ Then we pay them back per square foot as terms of the lease . And the legislator allows us to pay more per square foot than the old cap . The old commission had its hands tied by what it could spend . And now we can do 20- , 25-year leases . Our partners can get long-term leases .”
“ Our relationship with landlords is important ,” he adds . “ We do not use state funds to build stores . That ’ s what flipped it . We ’ re no longer a two-year budget cycle away from asking for more money .” Now , the NHLC can operate nimbly with its business partners .
Unsurprisingly , these big changes met resistance from landlords and lawmakers at first . “ Before , people didn ’ t want their liquor stores to change ,” Mollica says . “ But after six , seven , eight of these were done , people realized they were great stores .”
“ When people stopped asking , ‘ Please don ’ t change my store ’, and www . stateways . com Winter 2024 • StateWays 11