Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

fiskeybusiness t1_j6qdqyu wrote

It allows for small businesses to emerge and cash in on the liquor and beer sales rather than the big corps like Walmart and Stop and shop

IMO it’s a good thing—even if all the liquor stores in RI are owned by like 5 family’s lol

9

Proof-Variation7005 t1_j6t3suq wrote

Ive had the argument with people from other parts of the country about this and I'm with you. The minor convenience gain of consolidating stores visited not going to really impact my life in any way.

Grocery stores are overwhelmingly large chains owned by some large corporate entity. Why would anyone want to help them over a smaller business?

Does anyone think for one second that Whole Foods in University Heights would've undercut and eliminate High Spirits if they had the chance? Cause plazas with "big grocery store + small independent liquor store" are all over the place.

7

FunLife64 t1_j6zcvgw wrote

Some places only allow grocery stores to sell beer and wine - no hard alcohol. I think that’s a good balance.

Most grocery stores aren’t going to sell a very unique/good selection of beer or wine.

2

Proof-Variation7005 t1_j6zebhj wrote

i think there was a ballot measure in colorado this year about it? idk.

to me, the expanded access benefits national and international chains more than the consumer and it hurts smaller businesses that are more likely to be independent. there is no universe where "i need to procure alcohol and get groceries" was some impossible task because a second store was involved.

2

FunLife64 t1_j6zfagb wrote

Well it’s the anti-2023 mindset of convenience. It’s like insisting on not having tap and pay because we were functioning fine with paying cash.

Most wine/beer are large/national brands with significant backing and distributed whether you go to a liquor store or a grocery store. I’ve seen Whole Foods and even major chain grocery stores have local beers because that’s what is popular.

It’s not like all of the PVD liquor stores are selling wines that were shipped directly to to them by the middle class family who owns a little grape farm in Tuscany.

1

Wonderful_Ad_7235 t1_j6zmn21 wrote

There’s very little profit on liquor, that’s one reason why grocery stores don’t want it. Grocery stores tend to be chains and have way more buying power than independent retailers. They’ll squeeze the little guys where the profit is: wine. Anyway eventually that plaza will be a corporate copycat of all the cool shops that already exist on and around wickenden, and then when those little shops are gone everyone will pretend to be sad when telling tales of where “so & so used to be.”

2