All Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) retail stores are now open on Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m. A new law passed during the 2012 Virginia legislative session allows any ABC retail location to be open on Sundays.

The decision to keep specific stores open on Sundays will be driven by customer demand, according to ABC Board chairman Neal Insley. "If customers and sales support the Sunday opening, the store will remain open," Insley said.

The 337 ABC stores in Virginia have closing times ranging from 5 to 10 p.m., all tied to customer demand. Insley said ABC will monitor individual store activity and reevaluate each Sunday opening after six months. Stores not meeting criteria for customer counts, sales and profits will be closed on Sunday.

The General Assembly enacted three waves of legislation permitting Sunday sales. In 2004, legislation allowed Sunday sales for 95 stores in Northern Virginia, Virginia Beach and Norfolk. In 2008, new legislation expanded Sunday sales to cities with populations of 100,000 or more. The third wave went into effect July 1 and allows the Virginia ABC to determine which stores to open.

During fiscal year 2008, Sunday sales for 95 ABC stores totaled nearly $12 million.