Selling wine in grocery stores will only serve to put liquor stores out of business which by law are small operations most often owned by an individual or family. Liquor stores can not by law sell beer or soda for mixers. Take wine away as one of the limited items liquor stores are allowed to stock and sell exclusively, you put the liquor stores out of business. It's just another example of big corporations pushing small businesses out of existance by killing their trade.
The liquor stores will retain their niche, selling a variety of wine. The supermarkets will stock name-brands/schlock-in-a-box: Menage a Trois, Barefoot (Gallo), Constellation drivel and The Wine Group's spiked-colored-water (Inglenook and Franzia). Let them; if the liquor stores replace the Walmart vintages with a diverse variety, it could only be improvement.
It's more likely that the big-box grocery stores will go for selling liquor as well if they succeed in changing the laws to allow wine sales in "super markets" followed by enacting laws dictating the size of the outlet licensed to sell it.
John, I've long thought -- why not let liquor stores sell everything else and the groceries stores stock wine and booze. Works in California.
But the problem for New York is an entrenched system.
For example, every wine and liquor store in Batavia is in a fairly small and confined space so expansion to carry more product is either out of the question or expensive.
The idea that Tops wouldn't stock quality wines (along with the cheap stuff) is not realistic.
Also, for wine stores the cheap stuff is the head of the tail -- it's where most of the sales and profits come from.
The liquor laws in New York are crazy, but fixing it now would surely put a lot of small business owners out of business. There's no family value in that, no good economics that come from it, no capitalistic justification for helping the megacorps get bigger ... just doesn't seem like a fair thing to do at this juncture.
Why not allow local liquor stores space in grocery stores? They would still be a separate entity, not sell food, but the convenience of purchasing food for a meal and the beverages for that dinner at the same time would be great.
I've been to grocery stores where the selection of wine would outdo any selection we have here in Batavia right now.
My main complaint, with local liguor stores, is the small variety of New York State wines (...and the same goes for our restaurants).
There is a wonderful wine, from Merrit Estates, called Bella Rosa. This wine is made 90 minutes away from us, yet I have only found it in one store and that is iffy from one visit to the next.
Bea, I talk with an owner of a liquor store here in town about that same small variety. While it may not be the case for all stores, I am told that many of NYS wineries do not distribute this far or to places that aren't "upscale" enough. These stores want to sell what people want to buy but aren't always given the chance to.
Howard (as you are likely aware) the distributors have more to say about what supermarkets stock than the supermarket. Shelf space is dedicated to the major brands. On rare occasions Wegmans and Tops will stock something unique, but the usual suspects (Coke, Pepsi, Budweiser, Frito-Lay, etc.) monopolize the shelves. Look in the coolers... Who's products get chilled? Want a cold Reed's Ginger Beer? ...Better bring ice with you! I see no reason to believe that Tops will devote floorspace to much beyond Gallo, Constellation and Wine Group, et al. The first time a customer asks Danny Wegman's sister (via local store manager) to stock a particular wine and suffers the pat, Wegman (sorry about your luck) answer- that customer will be convinced of where customer service resides: the local liquor merchant.
Kim, I'm lucky. I'll be going down to where it is made again in August. I'll be sure to bring some home then.
I've been told the same story about distribution.
We're not upscale enough?
We're too far away?
One would think that this part of WNY is still frontier to those east of us.
Well, enough said, I guess I have to hitch up the wagon and head out to the general store to pick up a sack of flour and a quarter's worth of lard.
Liquor stores and grocery stores that sell wine co-exsist in other states. I just don't see the problem.
This law hasn't passed because the distributors don't want it, not because of any threat to small liquor stores. Why don't the distributors want it? And is *that* reason a good enough one to keep this law off the books?
Selling wine in grocery
Selling wine in grocery stores will only serve to put liquor stores out of business which by law are small operations most often owned by an individual or family. Liquor stores can not by law sell beer or soda for mixers. Take wine away as one of the limited items liquor stores are allowed to stock and sell exclusively, you put the liquor stores out of business. It's just another example of big corporations pushing small businesses out of existance by killing their trade.
The liquor stores will retain
The liquor stores will retain their niche, selling a variety of wine. The supermarkets will stock name-brands/schlock-in-a-box: Menage a Trois, Barefoot (Gallo), Constellation drivel and The Wine Group's spiked-colored-water (Inglenook and Franzia). Let them; if the liquor stores replace the Walmart vintages with a diverse variety, it could only be improvement.
How about letting liquor
How about letting liquor stores sell beer, soft drinks and anything else they want? Then, let grocery stores sell wine.
It's more likely that the
It's more likely that the big-box grocery stores will go for selling liquor as well if they succeed in changing the laws to allow wine sales in "super markets" followed by enacting laws dictating the size of the outlet licensed to sell it.
John, I've long thought --
John, I've long thought -- why not let liquor stores sell everything else and the groceries stores stock wine and booze. Works in California.
But the problem for New York is an entrenched system.
For example, every wine and liquor store in Batavia is in a fairly small and confined space so expansion to carry more product is either out of the question or expensive.
The idea that Tops wouldn't stock quality wines (along with the cheap stuff) is not realistic.
Also, for wine stores the cheap stuff is the head of the tail -- it's where most of the sales and profits come from.
The liquor laws in New York are crazy, but fixing it now would surely put a lot of small business owners out of business. There's no family value in that, no good economics that come from it, no capitalistic justification for helping the megacorps get bigger ... just doesn't seem like a fair thing to do at this juncture.
Why not allow local liquor
Why not allow local liquor stores space in grocery stores? They would still be a separate entity, not sell food, but the convenience of purchasing food for a meal and the beverages for that dinner at the same time would be great.
I've been to grocery stores where the selection of wine would outdo any selection we have here in Batavia right now.
My main complaint, with local liguor stores, is the small variety of New York State wines (...and the same goes for our restaurants).
There is a wonderful wine, from Merrit Estates, called Bella Rosa. This wine is made 90 minutes away from us, yet I have only found it in one store and that is iffy from one visit to the next.
Bea, I talk with an owner of
Bea, I talk with an owner of a liquor store here in town about that same small variety. While it may not be the case for all stores, I am told that many of NYS wineries do not distribute this far or to places that aren't "upscale" enough. These stores want to sell what people want to buy but aren't always given the chance to.
Howard (as you are likely
Howard (as you are likely aware) the distributors have more to say about what supermarkets stock than the supermarket. Shelf space is dedicated to the major brands. On rare occasions Wegmans and Tops will stock something unique, but the usual suspects (Coke, Pepsi, Budweiser, Frito-Lay, etc.) monopolize the shelves. Look in the coolers... Who's products get chilled? Want a cold Reed's Ginger Beer? ...Better bring ice with you! I see no reason to believe that Tops will devote floorspace to much beyond Gallo, Constellation and Wine Group, et al. The first time a customer asks Danny Wegman's sister (via local store manager) to stock a particular wine and suffers the pat, Wegman (sorry about your luck) answer- that customer will be convinced of where customer service resides: the local liquor merchant.
Addendum: ...With the
Addendum: ...With the expected exception of Wegman's Pittsford store.
Kim, I'm lucky. I'll be
Kim, I'm lucky. I'll be going down to where it is made again in August. I'll be sure to bring some home then.
I've been told the same story about distribution.
We're not upscale enough?
We're too far away?
One would think that this part of WNY is still frontier to those east of us.
Well, enough said, I guess I have to hitch up the wagon and head out to the general store to pick up a sack of flour and a quarter's worth of lard.
Liquor stores and grocery
Liquor stores and grocery stores that sell wine co-exsist in other states. I just don't see the problem.
This law hasn't passed because the distributors don't want it, not because of any threat to small liquor stores. Why don't the distributors want it? And is *that* reason a good enough one to keep this law off the books?