QUESTION ONE: SHOULD MA INCREASE GROCERY WINE SALES?
Will Massachusetts natives vote to make wine in supermarkets legal? Grocery chains in Massachusetts are pushing for the state to allow increased supermarket wine sales by posing a simple question on November’s ballot: can chains expand their in-store wine stock? Currently, Massachusetts law dictates that supermarkets can only sell beer and wine at three of their stores nationwide, but the Yes on One Campaign, backed by the Massachusetts Food Association, is hoping to change that.
A “yes” vote on the ballot’s Question 1 – which applies only to wine, not beer – would create a new category of licenses called ‘‘wine in food stores’’ and grant every town up to five new licenses plus one additional license for every additional 5,000 people. If the proposed law passes, up to 2,800 licenses could be created, which includes c-stores and gas stations. A released study of the Massachusetts Wine at Food Stores Initiative concluded that updating the state law to allow more grocery stores to sell wine would save consumers an estimated $26 million to $36 million each year.
Some people, however, think that convenience should not replace regulatory safety. Small retail shops and package stores have set up an opposing campaign – the Wine Merchants and Concerned Citizens for SAFETY – to defeat the measure. The WMCC believes an increase in supermarket alcohol beverage sales would result in destruction to small businesses and a jump in underage consumption. Supermarket employees would have a much harder time, they believe, in preventing minors from purchasing alcohol illegally.
Both groups have raised a significant amount of money to back their individual campaigns, which will rage on for the next month until voting time. Let us know what you think at megan@winespiritsdaily.com, where you're thoughts and comments are always kept unanimous.
A “yes” vote on the ballot’s Question 1 – which applies only to wine, not beer – would create a new category of licenses called ‘‘wine in food stores’’ and grant every town up to five new licenses plus one additional license for every additional 5,000 people. If the proposed law passes, up to 2,800 licenses could be created, which includes c-stores and gas stations. A released study of the Massachusetts Wine at Food Stores Initiative concluded that updating the state law to allow more grocery stores to sell wine would save consumers an estimated $26 million to $36 million each year.
Some people, however, think that convenience should not replace regulatory safety. Small retail shops and package stores have set up an opposing campaign – the Wine Merchants and Concerned Citizens for SAFETY – to defeat the measure. The WMCC believes an increase in supermarket alcohol beverage sales would result in destruction to small businesses and a jump in underage consumption. Supermarket employees would have a much harder time, they believe, in preventing minors from purchasing alcohol illegally.
Both groups have raised a significant amount of money to back their individual campaigns, which will rage on for the next month until voting time. Let us know what you think at megan@winespiritsdaily.com, where you're thoughts and comments are always kept unanimous.
posted at 12:48 PM
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