Washington State spirits privatization: How satisfied were liquor purchasers before and after, and by type of retail store in 2014?

Background:  In June, 2012 Washington State ended a wholesale and retail monopoly on liquor, permitting sale of spirits in stores with > 10,000 square feet.  The initiative’s success resulted in a 20% average price increase, but also about five times as many stores selling liquor, including supermarkets, drug stores, liquor superstores, Costco and others.  Our project is evaluating a range of privatization outcomes, with this study focused on pre-post and between-store purchase experiences.  Methods:  Data come from a 2010 Washington State Liquor Control Board survey of liquor purchasers (n=599), and the 2014 baseline wave of an ongoing representative RDD telephone (landline and cell phone) survey (1,202 state residents; n=465 purchasers age 21+).  Satisfaction with retail purchase experiences used 10 WSLCB questions that we retained.  We compared pre to post privatization levels and, after privatization, levels between retail store types.   Analyses used Chi-square and logistic regression.   Results: Overall, most purchase experience features were rated more favorably after privatization (ps < .05 to .001), including product supply, staff knowledge and professionalism, location convenience, store hours, and even prices (although at both times price garnered lowest satisfaction ratings); selection offered, courtesy, and checkout speed were unaltered, and ‘number of staff to help’ declined (p < .001).   Six satisfaction aspects (supply, selection, staff professionalism, operating hours and checkout speed) were highest for liquor superstores, while location convenience favored grocery and drug stores, and price satisfaction favored wholesale (Costco) stores.  Only staff knowledge was highest at liquor stores.   Conclusions:  Generally, satisfaction with liquor purchase experiences increased (6 of 10 features) after privatization.   Availability (location and hours) and various staff qualities appeared to be key for liquor purchasers.  Later we will consider how such experiences as well as harms experienced more broadly (purchasers and non-purchasers) affect sustained support of the privatization and for other alcohol policies.