Some neighborhood liquor stores are appealing directly to their customers to help fight Governor Paterson's proposal to legalize wine sales in grocery stores.
Just recently, a poster appeared in the window of one of the city's oldest liquor stores, Scotto's Wine Cellar at 318 Court Street, from "The Last Store On Main Street," a coalition of small business advocates, local wine store owners and wholesalers. The coalition argues that wine sellers are "one of the last independent businesses" and that if Paterson's proposal were to become law, "small businesses in every corner of New York will be forced to close-costing the State hundreds of valuable jobs at a time when New Yorkers cannot afford any more job loss."
Further, the coalition claims, selling wine in grocery stores will give under-aged drinkers greater access to alcohol, resulting in a heightened risk of fatal drunk driving accidents.
Personally, I do not think that the service and advice of an independent wine merchant can be replaced by a supermarket, but I do understand the concern.
Not quite sure if the argument about easier access to liquor for teens is valid, though. Grocery stores have been selling beer for a long time and are used to proofing their customers. (Besides, I think that the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18.)
But we should support our local businesses. Times are tough enough for our merchants.
Please check out "The Last Store On Main Street's" web site and consider sending a letter to Governor Paterson here.
What do you think, dear Reader? Would allowing the sale of wine in supermarkets hurt local wine stores like Scotto's Wine Cellar, Smith& Vine and Vintage Cellar? Care to weigh in?
To Read More about Scotto and its history, click here.
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15 comments:
This is a tough one. I LOVE Scotto's. They're the best, and i trust them. I've always gotten excellent suggestions in price ranges from 6 bucks on up. I don't think a grocery store could duplicate the service and range one gets in Scotto's. And in our neighborhood, even people who go to grocery stores, still go to bakeries and other specialty shops to get the best of everything - even though the grocery store carries bread etc. So even if a grocery store did carry wine, it would be very limited. It's a nice convenience, sometimes. But I'll vote for not allowing wine sales in grocery stores because I want to support variety of business, and if that law threatens a business, then that's no good. But it's a tough call...
Lets not forget that although they may not be as visible to certain segments of the neighborhood, grocery stores and bodegas are just as much local stores as Scotto's.
Don't get me wrong, I will usually always visit a small family business before a chain (especially in our amazing neighborhood that is rich with them), BUT: We should NEVER sacrifice free market economics for the sake of helping one business over another! Everyone should be allowed to sell, and the market will dictate which business succeeds to the greater extent. What's next, banning supermarkets from selling breads so that Caputo's/Mazzola's can sell more? It's a very slippery slope.
Vintage Cellers on Smith Street had these flyers & even a petition last year when this came up the 1st time.
New York State Wine
I understand that the Gov is trying to raise money to fill the many gaps in our NYS Budget so...
Why not allow grocery stores to sell wine BUT it must be NYS Wine only!?
There's a lot of very good New York State wines & wineries and if their sales go up THEY would also pay more taxes and [possibly] hire more NYS workers.
We can go to our small family owned wine shops (like Scott's and Vintage Cellars) for our specialty wines from South America, France or even California and would also support "local" NYS growers and NYC mom & pop grocery stores.
It's like Anon 10:42 implied - I can go to any store for Wonder Bread, but when I want a Mazzloa Product I'd go there.
Same theory: Buy every day wine while I do my everyday shopping but then buy my special occasion wine from a Real Wine Shop.
Selling NYS Wine ONLY in local/NYS grocery stores is a win-win for everyone.
Hi Raised In Carroll Gardens,
That is actually a great idea.
It would be a great compromise.
Wine takes up more space than beer, I'm thinking, so its unlikely any local supermarkets (megastores in the burbs might be different) will prove all that much of a challenge to wine stores, which also often sell the hard stuff as well. What the wine stores are worried about is losing their monopoly. They should chill like a nice Chablis and offer better selections, better prices, and friendly, more intimate connection to us buyers.
BTW, love that fact that some of your readers still believe in the "free market." Such innocence -- or is it delusion?-- is refreshing.
Scotto's is sort of lucky that there really aren't many supermarkets in Carroll Gardens, although I suppose new Smith/Union Market would be likely to carry wine if this happens.
Does everyone remember shopping at very nice Hallmark Gold Crown Card Stores?
Does anyone remember what happened to all these Hallmark Stores as soon as Rite Aid, CVS, etc were allowed to sell Hallmark products? Most of them went out of business. Same thing will happen here.
To Matthew:
OK, lets talk about grocery store size -While the corner deli is tiny I bet you don't do the bulk of your Pantry shopping there. You go to Pathmark, Fairway, Trader Joes. Now pciture how much space they have.
How about the area MET Stores? You don't think Mr. Kim would dump his cold cut counter (or veggies) if he thought he'd make more money from selling wine?
Like I said earlier: NYS Wine only in NYC Stores. And allow the wine shop to sell the rest.
We got the same issue in France years ago, resulting the closing of small wine merchants who were providing a good advice and help in the choice. Scotto & Blanc & Rouge ( in Dumbo) are one of these places were you may discuss and be directed to a very good wine you will love. You will never get the same service in supermarkets like Metfool or Faraway.
Matthew - that which you ask for is already here. Wine shops offer excellent selections, good prices, and very friendly service. As for "free market" - that's Walmart globalization talk too much to get into here. Complicated, and serious. The price of things is not always and only what you see on the product. Margaret
Come on guys you know that small business like wine, pizza, bakery are fairly loaded with cash, they just don't want to decrease their high prices.
Don't get me wrong I love Scotto, but their margin is too high on some wines and champagne.
The local supermarkets will not carry the diverse selection of Scotto but only high volume items where the consumers will benefits from it! I'm not blind by the idea of "free market", but we all know that a bit of competition helps the consumers...
So in the end, I am for Scotto, to keep its products diversity and good advices, AND I am for the sale in supermarket for regular wine or champagne!
Both can co-exists.
Anon 1/30/10 @ 12:16
The wine & liquor biz is very different.
In NY State the "mark-up" isn't as great as you think. Why wouldn't wine shops charge what Restaurants charge for the same product? Becasue it's very regulated. Why do you think that very LARGE wine shops are NOT really that much less expensive than the smaller places. There's very little wiggle room.
Even when they can buy bulk cases of wine because there's room to store it, they still charge about the same as the small guy. Thier profit is on VOLUME.
And, while some small business can deal in cash without ringing up sales, if a Wine Merchant is caught they can loose thier license. They don't just get a fine like a Pizza Place, or an Audit like a Bakery - they can LOOSE thier license.
Finally, look what happens when TIGHLTY regulated businesses become UN-regulated. You can't go from one extreme to the other.
(Think Banks, Airlines, Hallmark Stores, Ben & Jerry Stands, etc.)
In Pa. there are ONLY State Owned Wine Shops. Where's the free market there?
In Florida wine is sold in all of the big grocery stores and there are only Hard Liquor Stores - you won't see wine shops.
I still say: Sell only NYS Wine in these NY deli's and leave the other imports to our regular Wine Merchants.
First, all wine stores are mom and pop becuase of NY state law outlawing chains.
Second, what's this BS about protecting teenagers? They sell beer at the grocery store, so how will wine being there make it any easier to obtain alcohol underage? They already card (or are supposed to) for beer. This would be no different.
Third, states like California and Georgia have no problem selling wine in their grocery stores. People will still visit wine/liquor stores for the selection and the fact that hard liquor will still be sold there only. Also, if a wine store is closer than the grocery store people will go to the closest thing. No one is going to run down to Met food living on 1st st if they only need wine.
The truth of the matter is, not everyone loves to run around to multiple places for just a few things.
Hi Anon 2/5 @ 12:55
I agree about the carding - there would be no change there.
As far as grocery stores go... What if I normally go to the little wine shop right NEXT to MET and MET can buy volume because he owns 4 different stores & gets a better price? How long will it be before the Wine Shop feels the hit?
There's already a pilot program going on and the CVS store on 42nd Street & 3rd Ave in NYC sells California Wine and has 6 selections. What if Rite Aid sells right across the street from Vinatge Cellars and what if the MET owner sells in all of his stores, which would affect Scotto's and Smith & Vine?
There's always a middle ground.
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