Colorado Senator Jennifer Veiga is planning on authoring a bill to repeal the ban on Sunday alcohol sales in Colorado; this is a repeat of her attempt to end the ban in 2005.
This bill dovetails with recent lobbying efforts by the grocery industry to allow grocery stores to sell beer and wine. In 2005, when this threat was not present, the independent liquor stores banded together to keep blue laws in effect. Now, the group has switched sides and is hoping that by opening up on Sundays, they can kill the bill allowing grocery stores to sell beer and wine.
While it would be convenient, and perhaps cheaper in the long run, to allow grocery stores to sell beer and wine, I think there would be a loss of selection as many independent liquor stores would certainly go out of business. Grocery stores would sell the beer and wine that gave them the best volumes. While independent liquor stores usually are picky about what they sell and have salespeople/owners who are incredibly astute about the products and often go out of their way to try new things and bring in great products.
I think some of this will be lost in grocery stores where it is unlikely there will be an expert on hand to make recommendations and we will be forced to choose between common volume wine labels like Gallo and Yellow Tail. On the beer front, we probably won't get the full selection of micro-brews that you can choose from at liquor stores now.
As far as a ban on Sunday sales, it is about time they are repealed. There is simply no reason to have them and it is a piece of government intrusion into our lives that is simply not needed.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
End of Colorado Blue Laws: Sunday booze sales may be coming
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3 comments:
I wasn't aware the liquor store industry had changed its mind. This is good news indeed -- it might finally become a reality.
Although having real liquor in a grocery store isn't a real high priority for me, I have to disagree. While there are some boutique liquor stores, like Mondo Vino, that have great selections and helpful staff, I haven't found the average neighborhood liquor store to be any better than the Target on Colorado Blvd -- most of them have only your basic brands of wine and a few standard microbrews. Getting Great Divide, which is brewed right here, isn't easy in Colorado liquor stores.
And I did once go to the Littleton Safeway with a liquor license. They had a pretty decent selection and a helpful staff person to show you around.
I think both main blue laws--banning liquor sales on Sundays and prohibiting grocery stores from selling--should be overturned. They are pointless relics; nothing useful comes from keeping them around.
I disagree with the assertions that opening up sales to grocery stores will destroy the diverse selection of alcohol currently available. It is an interesting theory, but there is no evidence to support it. Michigan has no such blue laws. You can buy beer and liquor at any grocery or drug store. Some of them just have the basics. Others have selections far more diverse than most liquor stores in Denver. There are also liquor stores in Michigan, indicating that, even if the grocery can sell something more worthwhile than 3.2 beer, the market can still sustain independent liquor stores, with all the expertise contained therein (I'm with Ken, I've never been overwhelmed by the vast knowledge or recommendations of any liquor store clerk).
Finally, people in Denver love their microbrews, so retailers will continue to sell them, be it a liquor store, grocery store, drug store, or gas station.
Brandon
jonesydog.blogspot.com
I recently moved back to Colorado from Chicago, where liquor is available even in 7/11 (any day, any hour), and I can say none of the liquor stores were hurting. They're everywhere, and their flourishing (be that good or bad, depends on your taste).
I found this blog because I was interested to know why I saw Jack Daniels bottles in Target on Colorado Blvd. Not that I care so much, but I was a bit surprised. Had to pinch myself to remind me I wasn't in Chicago anymore.
Anyway, profit should come second to people's rights. You can drink on Sunday, and you can go to the bar on Sunday, but gosh darn it, you can't purchase anything above 3.2 from a store on Sunday! Seems pretty asinine to me.
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