It is stupid to make arguments about access and the like when we have other states to look at as a model. Missouri operates just fine with wine in grocery stores.
The simple fact is that we would be more competitive, there would be better selection of goods, we wouldn't have to make extra stops to get a bottle of wine and there simply would be more revenue from sales tax because a good percentage of grocery store sales are impulse sales....meaning you buy what isn't on your list......and sales would increase versus having to make a special trip to a dirty ass Kansas mom and pop store or a trip over to Missouri. There would be at least a 15-20% increase in sales in the first year alone!
The simple fact is that we would be more competitive, there would be better selection of goods, we wouldn't have to make extra stops to get a bottle of wine and there simply would be more revenue from sales tax because a good percentage of grocery store sales are impulse sales....meaning you buy what isn't on your list......and sales would increase versus having to make a special trip to a dirty ass Kansas mom and pop store or a trip over to Missouri. There would be at least a 15-20% increase in sales in the first year alone!
Finally, there would be real, decent paying jobs created by all the additional sales people it would take to visit all these stores and the drivers to deliver it and yes, people working in the grocery stores as well. Also, think about Trader Joe's and Dean and Deluca with a nice wine offering. Ever seen the great prices and selection at a Costco wine section? Holy shit please, please pass.
The talk of underage drinking, access and all that is tired. The only reason not to do it is because it will cause some mom and pop stores to go out of business. That sucks but it isn't a good enough reason to do for the Kansas consumer what should have been done 75 years ago. Plus, by phasing it in....they allow an opportunity for current stores to adjust and they will also be able to offer non liquor items which they can't do now.
Here is a story in the McPherson Sentinel. Write your Senator and tell them you want this bill.
Senate bill proponents, opponents clash over liquor sales
Source: McPherson Sentinel
By Chad Frey and Sean Wardwell
There is a fight brewing in Topeka, one about who is selling alcohol, and what kinds of alcohol they are selling.
The "Jobs and Consumer Choice" coalition is pushing Senate Bill 54, which would allow grocery and convenience stores to sell full-strength alcoholic beverages - the kind currently only available in liquor stores.
Stores like Eric Kraisinger's Trail's End Liquor on Meridan in Newton.
"I think this will happen eventually," Kraisinger said. "Depending on how close you are to how close to those facilities, it will hurt you."
Currently grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations in Kansas are allowed to sell only wine coolers and cereal-malt beverages. The bill would allow those stores to sell liquor and full-strength beer and wine.
The coalition, made up of retailers Casey's, Kroger/Dillons/Kwik Shop, Wal-Mart, Quick Trip, Hy-Vee, Henhouse, Price Chopper and Balls & Cosentio's, claims passing the bill would mean more jobs and economic growth for the state of Kansas.
It's a claim that does not ring true with Kraisinger, or liquor store owners and the "Keep Kansans in Business" coalition.
"For every job it creates there, it will eliminate one at liquor stores," Kraisinger said. "It just spreads sales out more to more vendors. Just because Wal-Mart gets into the business does not mean there will be a 10 percent increase in sales."
Still, legislators will debate a bill with the following numbers backing it: 15,367 jobs, $343.6 million in wages and $72.5 million in revenue, according to the Jobs and Consumer Choice Coalition Web site.
Those numbers are disputed, and ring hollow for Rep. Don Schroeder (R-Inman) who represents House District 74, which contains portions of Harvey and McPherson counties.
"While sales of liquor may increase, mostly near the state borders, I seriously doubt the number of jobs, and revenues, will increase nearly as much as the study says," Schroeder said. "Some stores will be put out of business, and the large grocers are very good at making the best use of existing employees."
Schroeder said he has other questions as well, like how close the state is to saturation for liquor sales - if there is really room for sales to go up - and if there really will be more revenue generated for the state.
"Two reasons for doubting the study are that bordering states already have more liberal liquor laws, and the Kansas sales tax is higher than the border states," Schroeder said.
The state currently has 766 liquor stores. According to a study by Art Hall of The University of Kansas, about 341 of those would go out of business if the bill passes. The same study concluded there would be 116 new grocery stores open.
In McPherson County, support for the bill among grocers is lukewarm at best, and has provoked outrage among liquor store owners.
"I don't think I'd be interested at all. I know there is probably money to be made there but I'm not inclined to," said Orville Koehn, owner of Canton Grocery.
Terry Culver, owner of Culver's Wine and Spirits, said that he and his family opened the first liquor store in the county 35 years ago and doesn't appreciate the state changing the rules his store has operated under.
"There's a lot of reasons the state set this up and kept it separate from grocery stores," Culver said. "It seems to me like they're changing the rules. It makes no sense at all."
Culver also pointed out that allowing hard liquor in grocery stores would make it more accessible to minors.
No matter what numbers, or how many numbers, get thrown at Topeka in the coming weeks, there is another aspect of the proposal that has some legislators concerned.
"I find it very difficult to allow grocery stores and other similar retailers to sell liquor because I do not support making alcoholic beverages more available," Schroeder said. "In terms of social significance, alcohol has a much bigger impact for problems like domestic violence and poverty than does tobacco, so why should we make alcohol more available than it already is?"
If retailers are successful, Kraisinger said it will not be a death knoll for his store, but there will be changes to how liquor stores do business.
"What I have studied is in other states that allow it, there are still liquor stores, but they handle more specialty items," Kraisinger said. "You have to get more into the craft beers and high-end liquors and wines."
The bill would freeze the number of liquor licenses allowed in the state for three years to allow liquor stores to adjust to the new competition.
Under the bill liquor stores could add gasoline. The bill contains language that would allow liquor stores to expand their offerings, becoming more like a convience store or the old-time community grocery store.
That is a change Kraisinger would support.
"If they allow them to get into that, they should allow us to sell other things to allow us to be more of a convience stop for people," Kraisinger said. "The only downfall I see is it will cause the state to hire more agents to police it all and they will not bring in more income from the increased number of vendors."
Senate bill proponents, opponents clash over liquor sales
Source: McPherson Sentinel
By Chad Frey and Sean Wardwell
There is a fight brewing in Topeka, one about who is selling alcohol, and what kinds of alcohol they are selling.
The "Jobs and Consumer Choice" coalition is pushing Senate Bill 54, which would allow grocery and convenience stores to sell full-strength alcoholic beverages - the kind currently only available in liquor stores.
Stores like Eric Kraisinger's Trail's End Liquor on Meridan in Newton.
"I think this will happen eventually," Kraisinger said. "Depending on how close you are to how close to those facilities, it will hurt you."
Currently grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations in Kansas are allowed to sell only wine coolers and cereal-malt beverages. The bill would allow those stores to sell liquor and full-strength beer and wine.
The coalition, made up of retailers Casey's, Kroger/Dillons/Kwik Shop, Wal-Mart, Quick Trip, Hy-Vee, Henhouse, Price Chopper and Balls & Cosentio's, claims passing the bill would mean more jobs and economic growth for the state of Kansas.
It's a claim that does not ring true with Kraisinger, or liquor store owners and the "Keep Kansans in Business" coalition.
"For every job it creates there, it will eliminate one at liquor stores," Kraisinger said. "It just spreads sales out more to more vendors. Just because Wal-Mart gets into the business does not mean there will be a 10 percent increase in sales."
Still, legislators will debate a bill with the following numbers backing it: 15,367 jobs, $343.6 million in wages and $72.5 million in revenue, according to the Jobs and Consumer Choice Coalition Web site.
Those numbers are disputed, and ring hollow for Rep. Don Schroeder (R-Inman) who represents House District 74, which contains portions of Harvey and McPherson counties.
"While sales of liquor may increase, mostly near the state borders, I seriously doubt the number of jobs, and revenues, will increase nearly as much as the study says," Schroeder said. "Some stores will be put out of business, and the large grocers are very good at making the best use of existing employees."
Schroeder said he has other questions as well, like how close the state is to saturation for liquor sales - if there is really room for sales to go up - and if there really will be more revenue generated for the state.
"Two reasons for doubting the study are that bordering states already have more liberal liquor laws, and the Kansas sales tax is higher than the border states," Schroeder said.
The state currently has 766 liquor stores. According to a study by Art Hall of The University of Kansas, about 341 of those would go out of business if the bill passes. The same study concluded there would be 116 new grocery stores open.
In McPherson County, support for the bill among grocers is lukewarm at best, and has provoked outrage among liquor store owners.
"I don't think I'd be interested at all. I know there is probably money to be made there but I'm not inclined to," said Orville Koehn, owner of Canton Grocery.
Terry Culver, owner of Culver's Wine and Spirits, said that he and his family opened the first liquor store in the county 35 years ago and doesn't appreciate the state changing the rules his store has operated under.
"There's a lot of reasons the state set this up and kept it separate from grocery stores," Culver said. "It seems to me like they're changing the rules. It makes no sense at all."
Culver also pointed out that allowing hard liquor in grocery stores would make it more accessible to minors.
No matter what numbers, or how many numbers, get thrown at Topeka in the coming weeks, there is another aspect of the proposal that has some legislators concerned.
"I find it very difficult to allow grocery stores and other similar retailers to sell liquor because I do not support making alcoholic beverages more available," Schroeder said. "In terms of social significance, alcohol has a much bigger impact for problems like domestic violence and poverty than does tobacco, so why should we make alcohol more available than it already is?"
If retailers are successful, Kraisinger said it will not be a death knoll for his store, but there will be changes to how liquor stores do business.
"What I have studied is in other states that allow it, there are still liquor stores, but they handle more specialty items," Kraisinger said. "You have to get more into the craft beers and high-end liquors and wines."
The bill would freeze the number of liquor licenses allowed in the state for three years to allow liquor stores to adjust to the new competition.
Under the bill liquor stores could add gasoline. The bill contains language that would allow liquor stores to expand their offerings, becoming more like a convience store or the old-time community grocery store.
That is a change Kraisinger would support.
"If they allow them to get into that, they should allow us to sell other things to allow us to be more of a convience stop for people," Kraisinger said. "The only downfall I see is it will cause the state to hire more agents to police it all and they will not bring in more income from the increased number of vendors."
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