![]() (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) “It’s only going to get worse”Įven the larger stores in the Denver market, such as Argonaut Wine & Liquor at 760 E. ![]() Matt Spencer, assistant manager of The Wine Seller and Spirits Too, stocks wine bottles on the shelves at the store in Denver on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. ![]() “Who do I tell that I’m firing?” she said. Von Feldt said she treats several of her employees like her family – and three of her relatives even work there. Instead, she’s forced to keep other options in mind, including the possibilities of shortening her store’s hours or letting go of employees, “which, to me, is the biggest shame.” “I’d sure like to not see every single small liquor store close in this state.”īut establishments like hers “make a modest amount of money,” often operating without a plump cushion of savings. Meanwhile, mom-and-pop shops are grappling with the combined competition of those grocery, convenience and big-box liquor stores, which could ultimately mean sink or swim for their businesses. The Englewood resident voted in favor of the measure, but, “I have yet to see major savings by buying beer and wine at a grocery.” It’s big-box liquor stores that draw my attention.” “I have never been a mom-and-pop shopper. “My shopping habits for beer and wine have not changed one iota,” said 75-year-old Larry Feierstein, who takes brands and prices into account before making a purchase. Months after the wine sales went into effect, some consumers still haven’t clocked much of a difference. “We are always looking to expand our wine and beer offerings,” she added. “Our customers are looking for the convenience of a one-stop shopping experience that allows them to pick up a bottle of wine with their groceries,” said spokesperson Jessica Trowbridge.Īnd statewide, 100 Safeway and Albertsons stores carry beer and wine, with 10 of those stores in Denver, spokesperson Kristine Staaf said. Statewide, around 2,000 fermented malt beverage and wine licenses are documented by the agency, with familiar brand names collectively holding hundreds of them: 7-Eleven and Circle K convenience stores, Target retailers, Trader Joe’s grocery stores and more.Īround 150 King Soopers and City Market locations hold those licenses, according to state records. The measure granted any store already licensed to sell malt beverages the ability to sell wine, too.īut the numbers don’t paint a full picture, as the Department of Revenue doesn’t break down its sales data further by type of retailer nor does the agency carve out wine or beer sales specifically, spokesperson Daniel Carr said. Sales have fallen anywhere from 10% to 60% among the 250 members of the Colorado Licensed Beverage Association, which represents the interests of the state’s broader industry of 1,600 independent liquor stores, executive director Chris Fine said.Īcross Colorado, grocery and convenience stores started selling wine on March 1 after Coloradans narrowly passed Proposition 125, with 50.6% of the vote. Not only have national chains and big-box liquor stores entered the mix, but privileges once reserved for these establishments - the sale of wine and full-strength beer - are now shared with grocery and convenience stores.Īt Von Feldt’s store, sales are now down “a solid 30%,” she said. Today, the Colorado market is no longer solely made up of family-owned liquor stores. “All of the liquor stores in Denver started out that way,” she said. Von Feldt’s corner shop was handed down to her by her father, who bought it from her uncle. ![]() “I hate to say it’s the end of an era, but I’m afraid it could be for a lot of people.” “We’re screwed,” said Lisa Von Feldt, owner of The Wine Seller and Spirits Too at 600 E. The vote by a slim majority of Coloradans to allow wine to be sold in grocery stores has led to a drop in sales at mom-and-pop liquor shops in the three months since the new law took effect, according to store owners and the state’s independent liquor store association. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu ![]()
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