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SALT LAKE CITY -- The three days before Thanksgiving usually kicks off one of the busiest at the state's liquor stores and it happened again this year in a big way.
Sales are already off to a better this holiday season than last.
In 2009, the Monday-Tuesday and Wednesday pre-Thanksgiving sales totaled $4 million. This year, sales for the same period are up by up to 25% per cent to nearly $5 million.
Sales of the higher-end products like wine correspond with a little brighter economy. There have been steady sales through the recession, but the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control's John Freeman says lately there's been a turnaround.
"It's not unusual to see sales in wine, $100-$200, up to $2-$3-thousand dollars a bottle in wine sales this time of season," said Freeman.
State officials consider wine sales good news, since wine is less likely to be abused than liquor.
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E-mail: rpiatt@ksl.com
