ABC stores return to pre-pandemic hours Friday

Officials with the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority announced Tuesday that all ABC stores will return to pre-pandemic operating hours on Friday.

For more than a year, Virginia’s ABC stores have operated at reduced hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials decided to limit hours the stores were open to allow time for staff to thoroughly disinfect store surfaces and to allow flexibility in staffing.

All stores will open by 10 a.m. each day, except for some stores that regularly open later on Sundays. Closing times vary at the state’s 393 ABC stores.

“With COVID-19 case numbers falling in Virginia and vaccinations increasing, we feel it is now safe to return to our normal operating hours,” CEO Travis Hill said in a statement. “We truly appreciate our retail team’s dedication and flexibility throughout this pandemic, and we look forward to serving our customers with expanded hours soon.”

The stores will continue to follow safety measures recommended for retailers by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those include: requiring customers and employees to wear face masks, floor markers to ensure customers stand at least six feet apart and hand sanitizer pumps placed at registers for customer and employee use. Curbside pickup and home delivery are also available at most stores.

In fiscal year 2020, Virginia ABC hit a record in gross revenue, reporting $1.2 billion, including $212.1 million in profits from retail sales.