Buoyed by pandemic-related shopping shifts, the outlook for retail sales of beer, wine and alcohol is bright. There are plenty of reasons to toast this new year after this last one. The outlook for retail sales of beer, wine and alcohol, a category affected by the dramatic market shifts of 2020, seems rather spirited. For one thing, the normalcy of dining out in bars and restaurants and gathering at large public events isnât on the short-term horizon. âWe donât sell spirits at any of our stores, but we expect the increase in beerand wine sales to continue in 2021, at least for as long as COVID restrictions are in place,â agrees Colin Heap, manager of beer and wine for The Giant Co., based in Carlisle, Pa. âOur customers are buying more to-go, which corresponds with a decline in alcohol sales at bars and restaurants.â