Local Grocery Stores Prepare To Sell Wine
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JACKSON, Tenn- Local grocery and convenience store employees are making space to sell wine, just in case Tennessee legislation passes the wine bill. “We are having meetings now to figure out if it passes where we are going to put it,” Susan Adams of Old Medina Market said. Retailers are optimistic that Tennessee lawmakers are closer than ever to passing the bill, that was rejected in 2013. “I think it’s going to pass this year,” Adams said. “And I think it’s going to open a lot of doors for our industry as retailers.” Adams said grocery and convenience stores in Tennessee can only carry alcohol products that have less than six percent content; but if the bill is passed customers will have more to choose from. Still, not everyone agrees with the bill, especially liquor store employees who say they may see a dip in their sales and fewer jobs. “You’re talking about a big percent of our population that could be out of a job,” Matthew Cleek, owner of Mid-town Wine Shoppe and Spirits said. Cleek added it’s not just about the loss of sales but also the affect that more alcohol accessibility can have on teenage drinking. “We have to keep it regulated and at fewer locations,” Cleek said. Workers at Old Medina Market said checking IDs is something they already do for beer sales, and passing of the bill could benefit the majority of consumers. So for now Adams and her employees wait and continue to prepare, just in case.
