New Suppliers - Frequently Asked Questions
How does my organization get set up to distribute alcohol to Montgomery County?
If you are an out of state company, you must first obtain a non-resident dealer permit, Maryland Form 328 - Permit Application, found on the Maryland State Comptroller’s website. If you are setup with the State of Maryland, you can proceed to the Supplier Registration Form listed below. For additional information on getting set up with the State, please reach out to the Maryland ATCC at [email protected].
Once this is obtained, or if you’re currently setup in the state of Maryland, please complete and submit a Supplier Registration Form to create a new supplier account in the County system.
Once your account has been created, you will receive a confirmation email with the following items:
How do I get my items listed in the County?
Most of the items that are setup in the County are designated as either "Stock" or "Special".
Stock (ST) refers to items that are warehoused at the ABS, and are forecasted and ordered by the buying team to keep inventory in the warehouse.
Specials (S) are ordered from the supplier on a case-by-case basis when ordered by restaurants, bars, and retailers.
The Department (ABS) requires at least a one case sales order for a product to be setup as a Special into the system We recommend getting a product in the system as a Special first before seeking placement at the County Retail Stores or placement in the warehouse as a Stock item. The ABS will select which products become Stocked in the warehouse based on annual case movement, price, and where the product is shipped from.
Please use the following link to set up a new item with Montgomery County ABS: Item Form
Montgomery County ABS holds a Listing Meeting on the first Wednesday of each Month. Suppliers and Wholesalers may present up to four items. Listing appointments are made through an online system for Stock placement and or retail distribution. Please find more information on the Listing Meetings at
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ABS/suppliers/ListingCommittee/.
How do I price my items that I would like to list in the County?
Montgomery County ABS has revised our overall pricing strategy to attain more effective pricing for our retailers and consumers. This is part of the ABS’s continuing process to improve overall customer service. Prices for new items will be set based on the cost (FOB, freight, tax) filled out on the New Item Form. The pricing team will review the submitted price, and set a variable markup which Licensees will pay when ordering the product. This price will be communicated to the supplier once set. Price changes will need to be submitted to the pricing team 60 days in advance.
Please review the New Pricing Strategy effective May 1st, 2017.
If you have any questions relating to markup or pricing, please feel free to reach out to the pricing team at:
Who do I call or email for delivery instructions?
Please call 240-777-1960 or 240-777-1966 for assistance with deliveries or send email to:
Deliveries for Liquor & Wine are from 7 am-Noon / / Beer Deliveries are from 7:30-1:30
Who do I contact with questions on how I get paid for products or with invoicing questions?
Please contact the Finance Section at [email protected]
How do I set up a product tasting in an ABS store?
ABS store managers will help you schedule tastings in their store. All listed tastings are complimentary and available to customers who are 21 and over during a set time. A list of store locations, managers and their contact information can be found here.
How do I get my product featured in the ABS Retail Blasts?
There are two retail blasts that go out each week. These include a product tasting calendar email and an ABS retail product promotion email.
A tasting calendar goes out each Friday morning as an email blast and is generated from tasting information gathered from each ABS store. The tasting calendar can also be viewed online here.
Additionally, an ABS retail product promotional email blast is sent out at the beginning of the week, typically on Tuesdays. A few factors are considered in selecting products for inclusion. These include the product being on sale, being Maryland-made, seasonality, competitive pricing - we do price comparisons to surrounding retailers - and having the product widely distributed in about half or more of the ABS stores. Access to high-resolution bottle shots helps as well.