The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) closed its latest fiscal year with total sales rising to about $888 million, up nearly 2 percent from the year before. But the amount it returned to the province dropped slightly to just over $280 million.

The NSLC says the dip in earnings was driven by rising labour costs and investments in IT projects, including upgrades to its website and internal systems.

Beverage alcohol sales saw a small increase, while cannabis sales rose by about 5 percent. Sales of local alcohol products climbed by over 5 percent, led by strong demand for ready-to-drink beverages and craft beer. Wine sales were flat, and locally grown cannabis sales fell.

The NSLC also addressed the recent decision to remove U.S.-made products from store shelves, noting it had minimal impact on these results, as the change came just weeks before the fiscal year ended on March 31. However, early data suggests the move is shifting customer behaviour — with Nova Scotia product sales up over 13 percent since the change took effect.

A clearer picture of that impact is expected in the next quarterly report.