CAPITOL Groups lobby for wine sales in grocery stores BY KATHY BOWEN Gazette Reporter
Farmers, grocery stores, wineries and other supporters of Gov. David Paterson’s proposal to allow wine sales in grocery stores in New York gathered in Albany Monday to lobby for passage of the legislation, saying it will help both the state’s budget and its farmers. Paterson proposed opening wine sales to grocery stores as part of his budget, saying millions of dollars of new revenue will be generated by the move. Jonathan Pierce is spokesman for what he calls the loosely-formed coalition of business owners that would like to see wine sold in places other than liquor stores. “The proposal will generate $160 million in the first two years alone while saving consumers $80 million per year and driving economic opportunity in New York’s agricultural industry,” Pierce said. But liquor store owners are crying foul. Todd Yutzler of Delaware Plaza Liquor Store in Delmar said his family has owned and operated the store for more than 40 years. He said state law bans owners from having more than one liquor store, and giving chain grocery stores the right to sell wine is unfair. “We’re only allowed to own one liquor store, but obviously the rules are changing,” he said. Stefan Kalogridis, president of the Eastern New York Liquor Stores Association, said the expansion of wine sales venues will not generate a sustained amount of money for the state. Kalogridis is also owner of Colvin Wine Merchants in Albany. “Of course we’re against it,” he said. “The state will collect a onetime licensing fee, which will be a shot in the budget, but in years two and three there will be no real increase in revenue.” He said the new sales venues will hurt liquor stores, some of which will likely close. “If the liquor stores close, the state will lose the excise tax on liquor which is second only to cigarette tax revenue,” Kalogridis said. Jim Rogers, president of the Food Industry Alliance of New York, said alliance members have committed to aggressively promote New York wines if grocery stores are allowed to sell wines. “We’re not allowed to promote wine now because we don’t sell it,” he said. “While it’s great the governor has included this legislation in his budget, New York is not pioneering this. Thirty-five other state already allow wine sales in grocery stores.” He said New York is the only major wine-producing state in the country that does not allow the sale of wine in its own grocery stores. Currently, there are about 2,500 liquor stores in New York. Kalogridis said that number is likely to decrease if the number of wine outlets is increased to nearly 18,000. “If I go out of business, my accountant loses a client, and the guy who cleans my rugs loses a customer. There’s a real trickledown effect when a ..................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar01101
Price Chopper enlisting wine sales supporters March 2, 2009 at 12:52 pm by Cathy Woodruff, Business writer
Price Chopper has created a place on its Web site for consumers to lobby state lawmakers to support legislation that would permit the sale of wine in supermarkets.
The section, which appears under the heading “Vote for Wine,” features a form letter that supporters can use to e-mail their representatives in support of the proposal from Gov. David Paterson.
The letter touts the value of wine sales to New York vinyards and lists supporters including the New York Farm Bureau and The Business Council of New York State Inc. Independent liquor stores are spearheading their own campaign against the proposal.
In regard to the recent consideration of New York supermarkets adding wine to their product list, I say no. Our two largest supermarkets in the Capital Region (both Northeast regional chains) have been doing just fine without adding wine to their inventory. Now they will not only hurt the small, individually owned New York liquor stores, they will end up eliminating some products to make room for the wine. Price Chopper should realize that their many specialty items are a big draw over what pulls people into Hannaford and Wal-Mart food supercenters. It’s likely some if not many of these specialty items will end up discontinued to make room for wine. Spirits and liquors are not even half of the liquor stores’ profit margin; they make most of their money selling wine. It’s not that I’m against change, the status quo, but this will end up hurting some of our local small business owners. Don’t sign the petition in the supermarkets; sign the ones in the liquor stores.
Allowing supermarkets and other stores in New York to sell wine is the right thing to do. But before lawmakers approve Gov. David Paterson's idea, they must resolve some fundamental and rather absurd inequities to level the playing field so that they don't put liquor stores at an unnecessary disadvantage or, worse, out of business.
We support the governor's proposal to make wine more widely available by allowing its sale in more than 18,000 supermarkets, convenience stores and drug stores, which already can sell beer. The governor estimates the state would raise more than $100 million from new franchise fees from stores and increased sales. That alone is a potent argument in a state whose projected deficit next year now exceeds $16 billion.
There are other arguments for this. There is no good reason for wine sales to be limited to a small clique of some 2,700 liquor stores, or for consumers who want wine with a home-cooked meal to have to make a separate trip to a liquor store just to get a bottle of wine.
We also believe that liquor stores, with their expertise, selection and ability to offer personalized, knowledgeable service, can thrive in a state where wine is more widely available — if they compete on as level a playing field as possible. Which, under the governor's plan so far, they would not. And that must be fixed.
An example: Wine and liquor stores can sell only a few other products, such as ice, corkscrews, wine-related publications, glasses, water and some wine paraphernalia. So a customer who buys a bottle of wine for a gift and wants to put it in a shiny bag with a bow has to go to another store that sells such things. Not so in a grocery store, where the buyer would just go from the wine aisle to the stationery aisle.
The same would go for cheese, crackers and any other food that complements a bottle of wine. So, too, would be the case with other beverages, alcoholic and otherwise: A person planning a party that includes beer, wine and soda would be able to stock up on all of it at a grocery or convenience store, but only on wine at the liquor store.
Further, a liquor store owner can operate at only one location, while the governor's proposal apparently would allow grocery, drug and convenience chains to buy wine in bulk and sell at multiple locations.
Such inconsistencies, which would amount to needless inconveniences for consumers and competitive disadvantages for liquor stores, must be resolved in any final plan to broaden the sale of wine. This is critical. The Legislature cannot...............http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=785019&category=OPINION
And why didn't they do the same when the grocery stores decided to sell prescriptions, and floral arrangements and video's? Where was the protection for the small mom and pop businesses that no longer exist? Why do we have to protect liquor stores?
I guess I just don't know what the difference is, or what the big deal is with WINE.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
There's more money in liquer/wine/beer......remember prohibition....most laws came out after the alcohol cartels went "legal".........old laws from a time of liquer cartels(which haven't gone anywhere)........ http://www.washblog.com/story/2009/3/28/15930/6680
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Editorial: New, improved supermarket wine plan Sunday, June 14, 2009
The bill to let New York supermarkets sell wine died a predictable death during this spring’s budget negotiations after a formidable lobbying effort by liquor store owners convinced legislators that the increased competition would be unfair. They were right to a certain extent, and now a Rochester-area assemblyman has introduced a bill that addresses many of their grievances and thus should make the plan more palatable. It would constitute a fairly radical overhaul of the system that’s been in place since Prohibition ended, so to say it’s a long shot for the current session is probably an understatement. (On the other hand, given what went on in the Senate this week, most other legislation awaiting action in Albany might qualify as a long shot as well.) Still, the subject seems worth revisiting if for no other reason than the state needs the money — as much as $160 million over two years — that the increased wine sales would bring in. Among other things, the bill by Assemblyman Joseph Morelle, D-Irondequoit, would let liquor stores sell items that complement their main products — like snacks, lemons, olives, etc. This would only be fair, given that supermarkets are allowed to sell these things............>>>>.............>>>>.............http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2009/jun/14/614_printt/
Supermarkets sell wine elsewhere, why not in New York?
The June 14 editorial [“New, improved supermarket wine plan”] backed a recent bill by Assemblyman Joseph Morelle that would permit sale of wines in grocery stores in New York, and also grant various concessions to liquor store owners. These provisions seem an eminently good way to resolve the present undesirable situation, which gives liquor store owners a monopoly. One of the “sky is falling” arguments of liquor store owners is that they, often self-defined as “mom-and-pop” store owners, would be put out of business if grocery stores were allowed to sell wine. This has been conclusively disproved in many states; I specifically mention Ohio and Missouri, both former residences of mine. In Missouri, grocery stores are even allowed to sell liquor — and there are still lots of liquor stores! There is no reason that shouldn’t also happen in New York, especially with the concessions in Morelle’s bill. Various people have trumpeted that a five- to 10-year grace period is absolutely necessary before grocery store wine sales are permitted, and that liquor stores selling food items would put in jeopardy a whole difference class of retailers. This is just more breast-beating by parties with a specific bias. Anyway, consumer convenience is worth something, even if it does change the retail landscape. I am a member of an online campaign to bring Trader Joe’s to the Capital Region. The present situation in grocery stores is an almost sure way to keep Trader Joe’s out permanently, since one of their biggest selling points is wine. All Trader Joe’s in this state are in the New York City area, where volume is large enough even without wine to make some sense. Why should they open a store anywhere else in the state, given the “blue laws”? If we ever have a real Legislature again, Morelle’s bill should be passed promptly.
And why didn't they do the same when the grocery stores decided to sell prescriptions, and floral arrangements and video's? Where was the protection for the small mom and pop businesses that no longer exist? Why do we have to protect liquor stores?
I guess I just don't know what the difference is, or what the big deal is with WINE.
Because someone finally decided to step up and talk about the issue at this point. I remember that the tanning salon on Altamont Ave (right next to Towne Bowling) used to be a movie rental place with a pharmacy in the back of the store. Fact is, they decided to close it up when the pharmacy could not compete with the new one going into the Hannaford (which the main pharmacist that used to work at the old store is now the main pharmacist in Hannaford, Mr. Alan Beck (an old friend, who I played little league baseball with)).
Schumer says wine sales threatened by Canadian tariff The Associated Press
ALBANY — A federal proposal threatens the exporting of wine from states including New York, while separate talks could greatly boost sales to Canada, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said Wednesday. Each separate but related issue could affect wine exports from New York, California, Washington, Oregon, Michigan and other wine-producing states. The New York Democrat is seeking to block the proposed repeal of a measure that allowed American wineries to be compensated for other countries’ tariffs. He also said there may soon be progress in getting Canada to lift its high tariff of as much as 100 percent on American wines bought over the border. ...............>>>>..................>>>>..............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01703&AppName=1
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