A group of licensed liquor retailers in Mississippi is suing the third-party operator overseeing the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control warehouse amid ongoing processing and shipping delays.
The lawsuit, spearheaded by Aloha Wine and Spirits in Diamondhead, accuses Des Moines, Iowa-based Ruan Transport of a breach of contract. Waveland’s Rosetti’s Liquor Barrel and Pass Christian’s Buckshots Liquor are also involved in the litigation.
In Mississippi, all distilled spirits sold by retailers, restaurants, and entertainment venues must be processed through ABC’s Gluckstadt warehouse, which is managed by the state’s Department of Revenue and operated by Ruan Transport. A software malfunction and a move away from a conveyor belt system, along with the construction of a new warehouse, have caused retailers to face lengthy waits in receiving orders they had ordered.
The delays caused the liquor stores suing Ruan Transport to miss out on revenue during “seasonal peak times,” such as Mardi Gras, the lawsuit alleges.
“Beginning in late December 2025/early January 2026, Plaintiff’s orders placed through the MARS ordering system were not fulfilled, were fulfilled only partially, or were delayed by several weeks,” a portion of the lawsuit reads. “Accordingly, store inventory was significantly diminished during seasonal peak times such as Mardi Gras, leaving partially empty shelves and a lack of the most commonly purchased retail items.”
Officials with the Department of Revenue suggest that progress has been made in fulfilling the backlog of orders and that technical issues at the warehouse have been rectified. The warehouse has hired more staff and has extended hours of operation to meet the demand for liquor.
As things stand, the ABC center in Gluckstadt is shipping 20,000 to nearly 30,000 more cases of liquor than they were this time last year, intending to make strides in dwindling down the number of orders on standby. Officials confirm they’ve been working with retailers to ensure a smoother delivery process in the future.