"On the whole, the program has been very successful, far beyond our expectations," liquor board chairman Patrick J. "P.J." Stapleton 3d said Friday. The board took in $16,000 in sales of 1,400 bottles during the first two weeks of the test program, said LCB spokeswoman Stacey Witalec.
The kiosks are the latest offensive in the board's campaign to improve customer service and change its image from lumbering bureaucracy to state-of-the-art retailer. In recent years, the agency has taken such steps as sprucing up its stores, marketing vodka for Mother's Day, and training its employees in the fine art of being courteous.
Till now, wine has been sold almost exclusively from the LCB's State Stores. The kiosks are an effort to make wines more accessible.
In an unscientific sampling over the last two weeks, customers seemed to agree on one thing: The kiosks are a step forward. They were less unanimous on whether it was the right step.
"They are making a small attempt at something they should be light-years ahead of," said Bill Swartz, a Cumberland County retiree, sizing up the test kiosk at a Wegmans supermarket just outside Harrisburg.
Swartz said that while the gauntlet of security measures on the machines seems thorough, the entire contrivance seems a little over the top.
The kiosk's coolers are 10 feet tall and stocked with 53 varieties of wine, including such brands as Yellow Tail, Sutter Home, and Kendall Jackson. Prices range from $5.99 to $22.99 per bottle. Selection will eventually vary from one kiosk to another.
You can look before you buy: The bottles are behind locked glass doors. Touchscreen menus offer descriptions, with tips on which wine goes best with which dish.
