Kroger launches wine sales petition
JACKSON, Tenn — Kroger grocery stores throughout West Tennessee will begin to host petition drives in hopes of selling wine in their stores. Kroger will begin hosting these drives across West Tennessee this upcoming weekend. They are the first major store in Madison County to try and get enough signatures to get a measure on the ballot, that if passed, would allow them to sell wine beginning in 2016. Right now, you can only buy wine in liquor stores. “Beer is being sold by the bottles and bottles,” said Kroger shopper Eva Musgray. “There’s a whole aisle dedicated to it. If that’s already there then why not put wine as well?” Kroger plans on collecting signatures of registered voters at all three of their Jackson stores the next two weekends. According to the Madison County Election Commission, they will need to get 1,682 signatures by August 21 in order to be put on the November 4 ballot. In a statement, Kroger’s Director of Marketing, Joe Bell stated: “We have listened to our customers repeatedly request the chance to purchase wine in our stores for many years now,” said Bell. “Leading to this moment when they can help make it a reality.” Some shoppers are not so thrilled. “If they put it out I wouldn’t buy it and I wouldn’t recommend them putting it out,” said Vera House. “I don’t think that’s a good idea putting wine in the grocery stores because kids are all around it.” Others said Kroger is more family friendly than liquor stores. “If they had their children with them, they would have to take their children in to a liquor store to buy wine which isn’t a very good place to bring them,” said Jeff Page. “In here it’s a family environment which would be a good place to take them.” Currently, Kroger is the only local store that has begun petitioning for wine sales, but as the August deadline creeps closer others may follow suite. This is all possible, because of a Tennessee law passed earlier this year leaving it up to cities and counties to determine if they will allow wine sales in grocery stores. Kroger stores in Paris, Savannah, and Dyersburg will also be hosting petition events the next two weekends.
