Year-end statements at NB Liquor show the largest net income in the Crown corporation's history, despite a drop in the number of customers.

Total sales for the corporation exceeded $395-million, with profits reaching almost $165 million, which is roughly $5 million more than expected.

The corporation says the boom was driven by surging sales of spirits and wine.

"They've both gone up and they're some of our products with the highest margins," says Marcelle Saulnier of NB Liquor. "The beer increase last year helped as well, the beer price increase."

The rosy results come despite what the corporation says was an eight per cent drop in the number of customer visits.

Liberal MLA Donald Arseneault says reduced hours are behind the drop in customers.

"If they reduced their store hours, but they increase all their prices and it's shown by the stats that we're seeing, there's less people going into the liquor stores," says Arseneault. "Yet the profits are up. That means consumers are paying more and that's quite unfortunate."

Customers say record profits come from high prices.

"It's like everywhere else, you pay more at the grocery store, you pay more at the pumps, you pay more at the liquor store, there's not too many places that you shop that you don't pay more," says customer Lynn Bishop. "I don't know. I guess if you want it, you're going to buy it, right?"

"I'm just a social drinker. I don't drink every day, but I have noticed they have gone up a little bit," says customer Bobby Hughes. "But it's only a few pennies here and few pennies there, but I know it adds up."

"I'm not sure why the prices are going up, but if that's how they're going to have to go, it's not like I really have a choice in the matter here," says customer Jordan Tracy.

While sales of liquor and wine are on the rise, NB Liquor says beer sales remain flat, down less than one per cent last year.

Like other government departments and agencies, NB Liquor was asked to reduce costs last year. The corporation says it trimmed $500,000 dollars in expenses, which helped their bottom line.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Andy Campbell