The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has approved requests from suppliers for higher prices.  That means the 18 month moratorium on price increases at state stores, due to the economic downturn,  is coming to an end. 

The Liquor Control Board voted to approve higher prices on 313 items requested by suppliers of those brands.  CEO Joe Conti says suppliers told them they were facing increased costs for raw product and transportation.

Conti says a “no” vote could have affected selection at state stores.  He says certain lines of product may have decided not to be offered in Pennsylvania.  He says while the board understands price is important, selection is also important. He says for most of the items facing price increases, there are comparable products that won’t increase in price.

Prices will increase on 271 items on February 1^st. Prices will increase on the remaining 42 items on March 1^st. By comparison, the system offers about 30 thousand different types of wine and liquor, with a variety of between 4 and 5 thousand offerings in most of the individual stores.

Conti says some popular brands are affected by the increases, including Crown Royal, Jack Daniels and Bacardi.