Wine sales in Grocery Stores?

as i said earlier Ron.. it comes down to : "Really we are just regurgitating material on the thread, it comes down to a difference of opinion on whether or not Wine in the Supermarket would have any impact on our local businesses."

Lets put down the swords.

one other small thought. The legislation that you want is not possible because it would be unconstitutional.

what legislation is that?.. lets not put words in my mouth. If the current legislation is unconstitutional, then so be it. I am not proposing changing it.

whoa, take er easy dude, it's only monday. I never put any words in your mouth. If you really want to hear all about the consitutional issue, PM me. In short . . . it's the reason that the bogus "save the children" Trojan Horse must be proffered as the reason for the legislation.

one other small thought. The legislation that you want is not possible because it would be unconstitutional.

what legislation is that?.. lets not put words in my mouth. If the current legislation is unconstitutional, then so be it. I am not proposing changing it.

whoa, take er easy dude, it's only monday.

Look if your going to lower yourself to mock my words, at least get it right.

If the groceries succeed in this legislative effort, the number of outlets for wine in Kentucky will leap from about 600 locations to 950-1000 locations (that's the groceries' number, not mine). It will represent the greatest expansion of access to alcohol in Kentucky since the repeal of prohibition. The public safety concerns are quite real.

How will this increase in the number of places to buy wine put the public in danger?

What are the public safety concerns you mention, and why do they exist for wine but not for the malt liquor and beer that are already sold at every grocery store and gas station in the Commonwealth?

Why have none of these "public safety concerns" emerged in cities like St. Louis and Cincinnati where wine is sold in grocery stores?

We need to step back and look at this logically, how many underage drinkers are going to go out and buy a bottle of Pinot, Cab or Riesling? Few if any, underage persons will start drinking if they aren't now if sales of wine is approved. All the what happened is people will be able to buy a bottle wine to go with dinner without having to make a special trip and possibly a little bit of fuel will be saved.

We're not going to have any expansion in access to alcohol since alcohol is already available at grocery stores so there's no argument at all in this respect.

I am all for wine sales at grocery stores....it can only help in general. Of course, some of the liquour stores will lose out....but I still think that, overall, wine sales will gain, which can only help the state, and revenue in general.

How can increased wine sales via Supermarkets help the state? There is no tax on wine. Throw a tax on your booze and you will get the legislation you want, guaranteed. At least when you buy in a local liquor store, the money stays local.

How can increased wine sales via Supermarkets help the state? There is no tax on wine. Throw a tax on your booze and you will get the legislation you want, guaranteed. At least when you buy in a local liquor store, the money stays local.

What if I buy the wine at ValuMarket, or Burger's Market, or Lotsa Pasta, or Doll's, or Rainbow Blossom, or Creation Gardens, or Paul's?

Ron,
....the exception to the rule....sure any wine they sold, the money would stay local..but you have to consider what it means....
What about Kroger's, Meijers, Costco, Walmart?...
Do you really think Rainbow Blossom, Paul's, Burger's, ValueMarket, etc...and Old Town, Wine Market, Gemelli's...can compete with the Big Chain's .......prices, volume, purchasing power, loss leaders, and politics?
The local Grocers you mentioned cater to fresh foods, local foods, organic foods, and specialty items (among other things)..it gives them the edge to succeed.Should we create a market where that they have to compete with the Big Chains?
Ron your point was valid on the surface only, dig a little deeper..and you will learn there other issues.

as people can tell i have strong opinions... as do some others. i am interested in hearing the opinions of distributors and local grocers. i understand the difficulty of sharing opinions publicly sometimes.. it can produce a dilemma. none the less.. i think those persons could have some valuable insight.

as people can tell i have strong opinions... as do some others. i am interested in hearing the opinions of distributors and local grocers. i understand the difficulty of sharing opinions publicly sometimes.. it can produce a dilemma. none the less.. i think those persons could have some valuable insight.

I rarely if ever hear our distributors say a word either way about dealing with the chains. Probably they do not want to bite the hand that feeds them. I know from talking to the delivery people that dealing with the box stores is maddening, but you will never hear a word said either way from the distributors them selves.

.. Some of the best wines out there come from small distributors who do not conduct business with chains.. instead they focus on the local independent retailers... while I wish I could say it was only a result of their desire to promote the local guys (which no doubt they do), the other side of the coin is Chain Retailers want to control the price point a little bit more (which is hard to argue with, when they are buying at high volumes). The small distributors of small vineyards, less known, and craft and boutique wines cannot survive with the loss of profit (and we need these guys) ...by prices demanded by Chains. The larger distributors can withstand that, but that kind of limits the consumer to their wines. It all would be grand if local retailers could afford to only carry the good stuff from Small and Large Distributors... but that just isnt possible. They have to have some names you know and many at a economic price level. Local Grocers and Liquor Stores.. cannot shoot prices as low as the high volume-buying chains. Not to mention, Chains carry loss leaders ..items designed to draw in customers..priced attractively, so attractive they lose money on the item. They get your money back marking up a can of vegetables 20 cents..... that may be more info than you want, but helps you understand the economics. and despite what some may say, it is about economics and our community.

Todd,
They dont have to say it. It is what it is. I agree they rarely mention it. And I totally agree with "they dont want to bite the hand that feeds them." And I cannot give them any blame really...... We are far off from it..but the structure for monopolies is faint ..but still evident. I feel like this thread has become a bit us vs. them, I dont want anyone to feel that way, and apologize if I made anyone feel that way.

I do not want to take away from large distributors either..their size and success is built on some of the largest and oldest (if not famous) brands in the world. I have on good account (above the distributor level) that producers, wine makers, and master distillers are reluctant to relegate the selling of their products to non informed chain grocers (i guess krogers could have a sommelier)especially among their artisan items. When that happens brand image kinda goes down the tube.. there is not much control on education or how to sell..like in Restaurants and Local Shops.

Ron,
....the exception to the rule....sure any wine they sold, the money would stay local..but you have to consider what it means....
What about Kroger's, Meijers, Costco, Walmart?...
Do you really think Rainbow Blossom, Paul's, Burger's, ValueMarket, etc...and Old Town, Wine Market, Gemelli's...can compete with the Big Chain's .......prices, volume, purchasing power, loss leaders, and politics?
The local Grocers you mentioned cater to fresh foods, local foods, organic foods, and specialty items (among other things)..it gives them the edge to succeed.Should we create a market where that they have to compete with the Big Chains?
Ron your point was valid on the surface only, dig a little deeper..and you will learn there other issues.

It's not the exception, it's where I shop for groceries. I would love to be able to buy a grass-fed sirloin and an Argentine malbec at ValuMarket. Do I think these places can compete with the big chains? They do just fine. I've been going to Burger's Market since I was a kid. In that time, they've only expanded. They seem to be doing just fine, and wine sales would only help them do better. Everyone predicted Doll's would close when Whole Foods came to town, but they hung tough. I don't think you give local businesses enough credit to stand on their own two feet. Aren't Doll's, Paul's and Burger's keeping Louisville Weird? Have you ever thought to ask them if they would like to be able to sell wine in their stores? You might find that you are actually at odds with those you seek to help.

I don't need to dig deeper to see your point. I get it. It's very clear. You want this legislation to remain because it protects in-state businesses against out-of-state businesses. The problem with that reason for the legislation is that it is unconstiutional. It is a violation of the interstate commerce clause. That's why you've got to go with the "save the children" route.

I do not want to take away from large distributors either..their size and success is built on some of the largest and oldest (if not famous) brands in the world. I have on good account (above the distributor level) that producers, wine makers, and master distillers are reluctant to relegate the selling of their products to non informed chain grocers (i guess krogers could have a sommelier)especially among their artisan items. When that happens brand image kinda goes down the tube.. there is not much control on education or how to sell..like in Restaurants and Local Shops.

exactly, and it's why you don't have to worry about Kermit Lynch and Bobby Kacher wines appearing on the shelves in Wal-Mart. People will still go to Old Town for those.