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A bill to allow the people to decide if they want Sunday sales of liquor is picking up traction in the South Carolina state house.
South Carolina is one of four states that don't allow for bottle sales of liquor on Sunday. Chris Crowe, President at Burnt Church Distillery in Bluffton says this can hurt business.
Bill 4231 could change that, allowing them to sell visitors a bottle of liquor on Sundays, something many are advocating for.
The bill has currently passed the House Judiciary Committee.
Passage of the legislation and signing into law would lead to increased sales. There are offerings liquor stores have that distilleries do not have, and vice versa.
It could be possible to see some chain stores (i.e. Publix, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger/Harris Teeter) opening liquor stores in South Carolina similar to Florida, Kentucky, and Ohio.
Passage of the legislation and signing into law would lead to increased sales. There are offerings liquor stores have that distilleries do not have, and vice versa.
It could be possible to see some chain stores (i.e. Publix, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger/Harris Teeter) opening liquor stores in South Carolina similar to Florida, Kentucky, and Ohio.
Yeah.. probably continue to realize how much $$ they are losing as with video poker then lottery and the Sunday Store Hours...change is slow but it continues to come...
Passage of the legislation and signing into law would lead to increased sales. There are offerings liquor stores have that distilleries do not have, and vice versa.
It could be possible to see some chain stores (i.e. Publix, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger/Harris Teeter) opening liquor stores in South Carolina similar to Florida, Kentucky, and Ohio.
Apparently Food Lion opened a liquor store in Little River SC back last May. According to this article they operate 4 now in SC. Not sure where the other 3 are.
“Sunday sales would help us tremendously," said Jim Irving, who owns Firefly Distillery in North Charleston. "About 70% of our business on weekends is tourists and they say can we come tomorrow so we can take it on the airplane and we have to say no.”
But the biggest opposition came from small, family-owned liquor stores who say they don't want to open on Sundays to compete with bigger chains.
“I would have to open, I would have to increase my employee count. The sales are shown not to increase significantly to offset the overhead cost," said the Owner of Sweetgrass Spirit and Wine Kara Crowell.
“The only thing that really happens again for us is it increases our operating expenses and reduces the margins,” said David Osbon, who owns three liquor stores in Charleston.
Lowe’s Foods opened liquor stores in most of their locations a while back. Costco sells liquor at their Columbia store.
One thing that will have to change for expanded liquor sales is the number of licenses South Carolina permits per operator. Right now the max is 6 and that comes with some restrictions.
Would Sunday package sales increase tax revenue? I don’t think it will increase demand much if at all, most likely it will just spread out current sales with exceptions for border counties. And if the state allows unlimited permits and 7 day sales watch the corporate players add liquor and the mom and pops drop like flies. The buying power of multi-unit operators gives them quite an advantage.
Lowe’s Foods opened liquor stores in most of their locations a while back. Costco sells liquor at their Columbia store.
One thing that will have to change for expanded liquor sales is the number of licenses South Carolina permits per operator. Right now the max is 6 and that comes with some restrictions.
Would Sunday package sales increase tax revenue? I don’t think it will increase demand much if at all, most likely it will just spread out current sales with exceptions for border counties. And if the state allows unlimited permits and 7 day sales watch the corporate players add liquor and the mom and pops drop like flies. The buying power of multi-unit operators gives them quite an advantage.
I can see this being the nail in the coffin for some mom and pops.. The other being local law enforcement and Sheriffs stepping up enforcement around some of these establishments that have had problems with loitering litter drinking in public or any other crime in the vicinity that may invovle someone coming to or from the establishment. I remember growing up seeing places in Columbia where people would purchase, brown bag it and adjourn to the rear parking lot to turn it up. It used to be older blue collar guys that just got off work shooting the breeze before heading home..now often times the breeze stopped and it is just the shooting....
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