5 days Ago By Teresa Mettela
SHOPPERS have raged over a new grocery store law that prohibits a popular item from getting stocked.Customers who want to purchase the item have to travel to alternative stores that are still allowed to carry the product. GettyColorado lawmakers have signed a law that prevents grocery stores from selling alcohol if they have pharmacies[/caption]Denver 7Small business owners like Josh Robinson said this bill could help local businesses thrive[/caption]Denver 7Consumers are worried that the law would limit their access to liquor[/caption]Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a Senate bill into law that prevents the state from giving out liquor licenses to grocery stores that have pharmacies, according to ABC News Colorado affiliate KMGH-TV.
Any store that currently sells liquor won’t be impacted by the legislation. It will only prohibit future stores from stocking hard liquor items.Several small business owners across the state have spoken up about the impact this law will have on their livelihoods.
Josh Robinson, the owner of Argonaut Wine and Liquor, said Colorado state laws greatly affect local businesses like his own. “We’ve lost about 40% of our revenue and about 50% of our wine sales, and it’s been a struggle. We’ve been trying to find ways to diversify and compete, but it’s been a challenge,” Robinson explained.
He is confident that the new liquor law will help independent sellers find their footing. “This is what independent craft brewers and distillers need.”“This is what independent grain growers need to be able to create a marketplace for Colorado, where we continue to be a leader in craft, distilling, craft brewing, and that innovation, that local product that makes Colorado so special,” he added.
Currently, it is possible to buy liquor at grocery stores in Colorado, but with some restrictions. While grocery stores can now sell wine and beer, the ability to sell hard liquor is limited by law to a certain number of grocery stores across the state. Ray Rivera, executive director of Coloradans for Consumer Choice, believes the law will make it harder for consumers to purchase liquor.
“The signing of this law sends us backward,” explained Rivera. “We already had consumer choice and convenience, and now Coloradans are being stuck back in an outdated system while the rest of the country enjoys consumer choice and convenience. We should be putting the consumers first, especially as the price of goods is skyrocketing.
”This is what independent grain growers need to be able to create a marketplace for Colorado, where we continue to be a leader in craft, distilling, craft brewing, and that innovation, that local product that makes Colorado so special.Josh Robinson, Small business ownerKMGH-TVRivera believes consumers will find it troublesome to visit multiple grocery stores before finding one that sells alcohol, making the whole process less efficient.“I think we owe it to Colorado consumers to give them what they want, and that is the ability to shop at any size store they want and to get beer, wine, and spirits at any location they want,” Rivera emphasized.
“And by signing this law, we’re rolling back the system and limiting their choice.”Polis also sided with Rivera, saying he wished there was a better solution that would not limit consumer choice and market access. However, Robinson is grateful for Senate Bill 33 because it will help keep independent businesses open.
“I think this moves Colorado forward. It preserves consumer choice by making sure there’s an independent marketplace where all these accounts can compete,” explained Robinson..
