Colorado limits grocery stores to 3.2 beer, and liquor licenses to a single location. Supermarkets and big box retailers are looking to change that. They've been stymied in the past by independent liquor stores and, interestingly, craft brewers, but the plan is to, if need be, put it up to ballot initiative.
If that happens, I suspect it will pass. And, as much as I like the major independent liquor stores (which will be hurt most), I'm not sure that's a bad thing.
Grocers may take beer, wine sales question to Colorado voters
Colorado’s largest grocers and Walmart are throwing their weight behind the latest effort to have the state’s food stores carry craft beer and wine.
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Calif allows beer and alcohol sales at both liquor stores and grocery stores, and everybody seems to make money.
+Paula Jones Yes, it was quite a jolt when I moved here from California. Colorado's rules include:
1. Supermarkets (etc.) 3.2 beer only
2. Wine, real beer, spirits only at single-location stores (a given corporate entity can only have a single liquor license, covering a single location, statewide)
When we first moved here, there were no alcohol sales at all on Sundays. Again, the independent liquor stores fought changing that law.
Under the current rules, e.g., there is only one Trader Joe's in the state that sells alcohol. Ditto one Cost Plus, one CostCo, etc.
On the other hand, we have a thriving independent liquor store industry here, usually distinguished by better, more knowledgable service than one would find in California at a BevMo or Liquor Barn.
The craft brewers are apparently concerned that, if the supermarkets and big chains get hold of the market, they will easily get in bed with the larger craft breweries or the pseudo-crafts owned by SAB Miller and MolsonCoors and other corporate monstrosities, shutting them out. (The manipulation of the liquor distribution market by these big companies gives some credence to their concerns.)
That craft breweries and craft distilleries in the state have done so well despite the restrictions also give one pause before changing the marketplace.
In other words, money will still be made, and arguably the consumer will get lower prices, but the money will not be made by the same people, and the quality of what the consumers are getting may not be as good.
I dunno. It's not that much effort for me to get to a good liquor store (I have one that's a 15 minute walk away, another that's a 10 minute drive in the opposite direction). On the other hands, sometimes it would be nice to buy a needed bottle of wine while at the local King Soopers or at CostCo.
Yes, it seems like a dilemma.