Business phone system for beer, wine and liquor stores in South Carolina

How many beer, wine and liquor stores operate in South Carolina

The Census Bureau counted 583 beer, wine and liquor stores in South Carolina in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 445310). They employed 2,273 people in mid-March and reported $64.1 million in annual payroll. That is the 21st highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Beer, wine and liquor stores make up 0.47% of the 122,958 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) South Carolina has 10.6 beer, wine and liquor stores, in line with the national rate of 10.7. The average establishment has 3.9 employees against 5.3 nationally. Payroll per employee is $28,216, in line with the U.S. figure of $28,143.

Beer, wine and liquor stores by metro area in South Carolina

Census published liquor store counts for 15 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of South Carolina. The largest is Charlotte, NC-SC, with 145 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 87% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at beer, wine and liquor stores in South Carolina

78.2% of South Carolina's beer, wine and liquor stores with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 61.7% nationally. 90.7% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

Calls a liquor store in South Carolina has to catch

Liquor stores field calls about stock, special orders and event quantities. Calls from event planners and restaurants are often time-sensitive. That holds for beer, wine and liquor stores in South Carolina as much as anywhere.

A few of the calls that come in to beer, wine and liquor stores in South Carolina:

• A customer calls to check whether a wine is in stock.
• The store calls a customer when an order arrives.
• A customer calls about a special order.

Texting customers

Stores text special-order notices.

Texting from a local number in South Carolina requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

Phone system pricing for a 4-person liquor store

Beer, wine and liquor stores in South Carolina average 3.9 employees, so the comparison uses a 4-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $99.80 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $120.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $99.00 a month for 4 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $252 less than RingCentral for a liquor store in South Carolina of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in South Carolina

South Carolina has 6 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a liquor store can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for beer, wine and liquor stores in South Carolina

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

Porting a number you already use in South Carolina is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.