New ABC store and warehouse in Burgaw expected to grow Pender County’s profits from alcohol sales

BURGAW, NC (WWAY) — Liquor stores are busy during the holiday season and next year customers in Burgaw will have a new and updated space in which to purchase spirits.

Construction is underway for a new ABC store on the U.S. Highway 117 Bypass. The new building will contain office space for the Pender County ABC Board, a retail store and stockroom, and a central warehouse.

The center portion of the new building will have space designated for the Pender County ABC Board’s administrative offices. Currently, the Board has four employees working in two cramped offices that are 450 square feet. The new building will expand this area to 1,500 square feet.

“It will be much more productive for us,” said Susan Crawford, General Manager of the Pender County ABC Board.

The right side of the building will be for the new retail store and stockroom offering 4,500 square feet of space. The old store and stockroom is just 1,500 square feet.

The left side of the building will be a central warehouse to store products for the county’s four ABC stores, including the one in Burgaw. Right now, the county doesn’t have a warehouse.

The Pender County ABC Board receives approximately 1,400 cases a week from Raleigh and since there’s nowhere to house surplus stock, that product is immediately distributed to the four ABC stores across the county.

“Business has grown so much, we have struggled to have ample room for a central warehouse space,” said Crawford said.

Not having adequate space, limits how much product the county is able to purchase at a cheaper price.

“This hurts when we can’t get buy-ins for products on sale from vendors and that cuts in on the county’s profits,” Crawford said.

The new building will cost $8.8 million which will come from the sale of ABC products sold in the county.

Construction of the new building is expected to be completed by July 3, 2024.