Vínbúð

Áfengis- og tóbaksverslun ríksins

Type	Government enterprise
Industry	Alcohol marketing
Founded	1961
Headquarters	Reykjavík, Iceland
Key people	Ívar J. Arndal, president
Website	vinbud.is

Inside a Reykjavik Vínbúð

Vínbúð (Icelandic pronunciation: ​[ˈviːn.puð], wine shop) is a chain of 46 stores run by the Icelandic alcohol and tobacco monopoly ÁTVR, locally called ríkið (Icelandic: [ˈriːkɪð], the State). It is Iceland's sole legal vendor of alcohol for off-premises consumption, though in practice, most bars and restaurants will not prevent you from leaving with purchased drinks. High licensing fees make this an expensive option however, and alcohol is always at least twice as expensive outside the Vínbúð.

Iceland has very high taxes on alcohol. Historically, this was to curtail consumption. Tax rates in stores are not a percentage of price (such as a sales tax or income tax) but are proportionate to the alcohol content.

Other alcoholic monopolies

• Systembolaget – Sweden
• Vinmonopolet – Norway
• Alko – Finland
• Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins – Faroe Islands
• Provincial Liquor Crown Companies – Canada
  • Liquor Control Board of Ontario – Ontario
  • BC Liquor Store – British Columbia
  • Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation
  • Société des alcools du Québec – Quebec
• National Alcohol Beverage Control Association – United States
  • Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board – Pennsylvania
• Tekel – Turkey
• Qatar Distribution Company – Qatar

External links

• Vínbúð's website