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State governments struggling to find new ways to raise revenue are running into stiff opposition to one idea β the expansion of wine sales into grocery stores.
Wine is sold here in Texas in supermarkets and has been for quite some time. And yet we still have liquor stores, even liquor stores that sell wine, even liquor stores that sell wine that are in the same shopping center as the grocery stores that sell wine.
Not only is wine sold in supermarkets here in NM they also sell liquor. When we moved here from Texas we were surprised to see they sold hard liquor at WalMart the only time they don't sell anything alcohol at all is on Sunday mornings.
Wine is sold here in Texas in supermarkets and has been for quite some time. And yet we still have liquor stores, even liquor stores that sell wine, even liquor stores that sell wine that are in the same shopping center as the grocery stores that sell wine.
It's the same here in Ohio. I used to work at a Giant Eagle grocery store and we always sold wine and beer. Later they added a "state store", which allows you to carry the stronger stuff like rum, vodka, tequila, etc. I remember one day a man came through my line and had something like 30 bottles of wine!!!! We all asked him if he was having a party or something. He replied that he was stocking up because he lived in a dry county in TN that was surrounded by more dry counties!! To us that was unfathomable. I mean, we have some dry towns in Ohio and some grocery stores don't sell any beer or wine, but to have several dry counties is strange.
if I'm remembering correctly, in MA, supermarket chains are allowed to have 3 stores per chain that sell alcohol. not sure if there are other regulations in terms of distance from a liquor store or anything, but I know of one Whole Foods that sells booze w/in walking distance of 2 large, thriving liquor stores. granted, the liquor stores are geared more towards local college kids and WF tends to only carry high end microbrews and organic wines, so competition isn't that stiff
I am *so happy* to now live in a town that allows beer and wine to be sold in the Publix supermarket. To me, wine and beer go with food; it's all part of the package.
Then there is the whole Sunday sales thing, it makes me wonder about the separation of church and state.
My former city, Denver, just recently joined the 21st century by allowing liquor to be sold on Sundays. Regular grocery stores still can't sell it, but Target and Costco can.
I think we can buy it here in north Florida after 12 noon or something like that.
Wine sold here in Georgia at supermarkets and I agree with it...not allowed on Sundays though and while I don't agree with the law, I can abide and live by it with proper planning...after all it is just one day.
Grew up in a state (PA) where all alcohol was sold in State stores, migrated to a state (CA) where all alcohol was sold in grocery stores and now live in a state where beer and wine are sold in grocery stores with hard spirits sold in State stores.
Which is best? Dunno. I do like being able to buy beer and wine in the grocery store, though...it's very rare for me to go to the State store for the other spirits. Went last month to get some whiskey to make hard sauce for my bread pudding.
I always feel uncomfortable going to State stores--it's like entering a place dedicated solely to drinking...hard to explain, do you have that feeling, too?
Might buy more liquor if it were in the grocery stores, but am content, really, with my glass of wine with dinner and beer on a hot summer day.
Georgia has no statewide prohibition on the sale of beer and wine in food and convenience stores; the matter is left up to local jurisdictions (cities and counties) as to the retailers that will permitted to sell products and what those alcohol products will be. At present, Georgia DOES prohibit the sale of alcohol other than wine and beer in food stores, convenience stores, etc.; separately licensed facilities on the same premises, but technically detached or separated from the main store may be allowed, again depending upon the local alcohol sales laws. Georgia DOES forbid the sale of all package sales of alcohol on Sundays and on Christmas Day (and during hours when voting polls are open I believe).
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Originally Posted by BlueWillowPlate
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Then there is the whole Sunday sales thing, it makes me wonder about the separation of church and state.
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Sunday sales prohibitions came under the whole "blue laws" thing. I never did see how it would meet a constitutional challenge, but it still does for whatever reason. I believe Sunday sales prohibitions might actually be further strenthened by the amendment to the US Constitution ending prohibition, which essentially returned to the states the right to regulate alcohol manufacture, distribution, and sales, implicitly including days and hours of operation.
Every year there is an attempt to pass legislation allowing Sunday package alcohol sales in Georgia. It fails for any number of reasons. Surprisingly, independent liquor, beer, and wine retailers often come out against liberalized sales. Their issue is one of staffing, since they see it as not generating additional sales (if people don't buy on Sunday they usually stock up on other days of the week) but driving up the cost of operations by requiring the staffing of stores for and additional day each week as well as increased utilities costs, etc. If convenience stores and grocers are permitted to sell on Sunday, then the regular package and liquor retailers would more or less have their hands forced because otherwise they would likely sacrifice the some of the purchases made by their customers who "stock up" during the week under current regulations. I always thought a good compromise would be to allow retailers to sell alcohol 6 days a week, on the days of THEIR OWN choosing, but really I don't favor any restrictions at all as to the days when sales are allowed...the market should determine that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LittleDolphin
I always feel uncomfortable going to State stores--it's like entering a place dedicated solely to drinking...hard to explain, do you have that feeling, too?
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Well, State stores AND private liquor stores ARE places pretty much dedicated solely to drinking. That's why you go there...to get your booze. Sometimes they sell things like cigars, milk, snacks, magazines, and the like, but the main action is in selling alcohol. When you go you will be around others whose primary reason for being there is to get their alcohol for whatever reason THEY want it. You are not entering a day care center, ice cream parlor, church, card shop, butcher, or clothing store. Admittedly, you will sometimes see some hard-core folks in there, and depending upon the demographics of the neighborhood, the variety of tattoos, hairstyles, and clothing can be worthy of note. Still you have a retail operation that has one purpose in mind, supplying alcohol to customers who want it. One caution, it might be a good idea to be especially alert at locations that have an overabundance of bars on the windows and overly thick bullet-proof glass surrounding the clerk stations, hey, but maybe that's just me. As to whether or not I feel uncomfortable in such a place, I guess I know what I'm getting into when I go in one, so my expectations are usually in line with the experiences I have in such establishments.
Last edited by buckhead; 03-08-2009 at 10:37 AM..
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