Supermarket booze ban needed - HANZ

3:00 PM Monday Mar 7, 2011

Supermarkets are driving binge drinking with aggressive pricing and should be banned from selling alcohol, the Hospitality Association says.

In a submission on the Alcohol Reform Bill today, the association said supermarkets had dramatically increased their market share of alcohol sales, which had led to a shift in where New Zealanders drink and more people binge drinking.
Retail sales through supermarkets have doubled from about $8 million to almost $16 million in the past decade, while sales at bars and restaurants were either flat or growth was limited.
The association said the negative impacts of past alcohol reform could be firmly sourced with the availability of cheap alcohol from supermarkets, which had increased the availability of alcohol to youths.
Supermarkets were also driving binge drinking by using alcohol as a "loss leader", where it was sold below cost to attract shoppers.
"There is a strong case for removing all alcohol from supermarkets and grocery stores," the association said in its submission to Parliament's justice and electoral select committee today.
"Unless Parliament addresses the issue of the sale of alcohol from supermarkets ... then the worst features of New Zealand's alcohol consumption will continue unabated."
The association said off-licence sales of alcohol should be restricted to specialist liquor stores or over the counter on-licences, where staff were specifically trained to sell alcohol.
It also called for a minimum price for alcohol.

Wine in Grocery Stores: Is 2011 the Year?

Here is a story by Elizabeth Schubert shown on the ABC affiliate WHAM, Ch. 13 in Rochester, New York.

Let me whine

February 12, 2011

Let me whine

By Rick PfeifferNiagara Gazette

NIAGARA FALLS — Alright, at first blush (hey that is a kind of wine), this topic may not seem relevant to cops or law enforcement.

But here is my preemptive strike at the New York State Police Chiefs Benevolent Association (are you listening Superintendent Chella) not to hop on board again this year on the whacky, harebrained scheme to allow the sale of wine in grocery stores around the Empire State.

Yes, like some group of undead zombies from a George Romero horror film, the shadowy group known as New Yorkers for Economic Growth and Open Markets has risen from the dead to again push the new state legislature to pass legislation that would allow beer sales-only outlets (uh that would be your friendly big box supermarket, think Walmart, Target, Tops, Wegmans, you get the picture) to begin selling bottled and box wines to consumers.

A year ago, when this ill-advised idea was being pitched to members of the state legislature, the Economic Growth and Open Markets group (what a great name, it’s almost like calling yourself a Mom and Apple Pie group, who could oppose that or who would oppose “Economic Growth and Open Markets”) managed to cobble together a strange collection of unions and well-intentioned associations, including the New York State Police Chiefs Benevolent Association, to support the proposal. It was a con then and it’s a con now.

They wrap the idea up with lots of pretty ribbons and bows and consultant approved buzz words, but the bottom line is it’s a proposal that will cripple small businesses, make it harder for small farms and small wineries like those in the Niagara Region to prosper and ultimately reduce consumer choice and access.

Read more here >>

The Truth About Wine in Liquor Stores - Xtranormal Video

This video contains a little bit of humor but a whole lot of facts about the big-box stores' fake concern for small wineries and grape growers.
  The closed captioning option is very good if you need it.  I'd say its about 98% accurate.

Sales are nothing to cheer about

It's always gratifying to see an article such as this one. Not everyone is blind to the hypocrisy of the big box stores' money grab.

"The only people who will truly benefit from this are those folks running your favorite local supermarket chain. Trust me, if they were ponying up $300 million each year for licenses, they’d be a lot less enthusiastic about the proposal.

But with a one-time cost, and limitless profits into the future, what a great deal this is."

Read more here >>