Orange County Merchants Say Lottery Sales Remain Steady

An informal survey of Orange County merchants Friday found that most have experienced a steady level of California Lottery ticket sales since the initial record sales at the start of the game.

Bob Baker, manager of Albertson’s in Fullerton, said ticket sales at the store had not sagged, although he has noticed a sharp decline in impulse sales of special discount items at his store because customers are buying tickets instead of other items.

The lottery “has taken away some of the customers’ ability to purchase some of the things retailers like to sell,” Baker said. He added that overall ticket sales have remained at about the same: 1,500 to 2,000 a day, with somewhat higher sales on the weekends.

Stella Slinger, owner of a Santa Ana 7-Eleven store, also said demand has been pretty steady since the first couple weeks of the lottery, when sales averaged about 6,000 a day.

With the Gold Rush game, her ticket sales have dropped to 800 to 900 a day, she said, and have stayed at that level. Business at the store has increased because the tickets and convenience items are all in one place and lines are not as long as at other stores, Slinger said.

“I think the lottery has really improved our merchandise sales,” she said. “What brings in more merchandise sales is that more people are coming into the store because we’re offering them another service. It’s like a good-will gesture.”

Michael Notery, owner of Beachball Liquors and Wines in Anaheim, said, “It’s slackened off, which is true throughout the industry as far as the lottery goes.”

Notery said he had noticed a decline in total sales. “The trend is throughout the area,” he said.