mcevoys
join:2002-02-06
Ridgefield, CT | Finally Malloy proposes something rational With an announcement timed to make the Sunday newspapers, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy intends to propose a series of changes Saturday in the state's restrictive alcohol laws, including a repeal of minimum pricing and the ban on Sunday sales.
Malloy to push to ease restrictions on alcohol sales and pricing |
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| Still half-assed.
At least allow the sale of alcohol at any time. Even at 3AM. Although in all honesty all stores will be closed - but that is a different story. |
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 JimCTProbably Pricing PropanePremium
join:2006-01-11
Connecticut
kudos:1 | said by cowboyro:Still half-assed.
At least allow the sale of alcohol at any time. Even at 3AM. Although in all honesty all stores will be closed - but that is a different story.
Actually many of the independent liquor stores have been against Sunday sales for years as it's not in their best interest to have to pay store clerks to sell alcohol on a weekend day. They've been able to avoid competition for weekend sales with the grocery chains through their efforts to keep the old blue laws.
The grocery stores that are already open have wanted this for years... they're open anyway and can sell alcohol as easily as any other product on their shelves. It'll be interesting to see how many independents open on a Sunday, or take their chances and lost weekend sales by staying closed on Sunday. |
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| Grocery stores only sell beer. And it's way overpriced compared to liquor stores. I don't see grocery stores taking a significant chunk of business. In my area most liquor stores close at 8PM while grocery stores sell until 9PM. In all honesty I haven't bought beer from the grocery store in 10 years. |
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mcevoys
join:2002-02-06
Ridgefield, CT | reply to cowboyro
I more enthusiastic about the repeal of minimum pricing laws |
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bennorPremium
join:2006-07-22
New Haven, CT | reply to mcevoys
It doesn't appear the state is forcing businesses to open their doors on Sunday to sell liquor/beer. So I'm not quite sure why the stores are complaining about this. If the owners don't want to open on Sundays, then don't open on Sundays. If they choose not to open then they don't have to worry about "loosing money" to pay employees.
(shrugs) |
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| reply to mcevoys
The Sunday's aren't what kills me. It's when I forget about wine for dinner on holidays and the farkers aren't open for 3 days in a row..... |
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 GlennI'D Rather Be SkiingPremium
join:2000-10-05
Wallingford, CT | reply to mcevoys
Irony: A liberal state that still follows Blue Laws. |
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 gregamy
join:2003-05-22
Middletown, CT
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I'm a drinker, so I'm pretty ok with allowing alcohol sales on Saunday. But, just wanted to offer a little b-school 101:
said by bennor:It doesn't appear the state is forcing businesses to open their doors on Sunday to sell liquor/beer. So I'm not quite sure why the stores are complaining about this. If the owners don't want to open on Sundays, then don't open on Sundays. If they choose not to open then they don't have to worry about "loosing money" to pay employees. Competitive advantage.
You're right: no one of "forcing" anyone to open on Sunday.
However, there's a distinct change in fixed expenses to smaller, local stores in staying open another day: utilities and employee salaries, for example. These are expense increases that the larger grocery stores (such as Stop & Shop) won't have to bear, since they're already staying open selling things other than liquor. So for them, there's nothing to lose (no more fixed expenses) and a lot to gain (more revenue)
Further, because they cannot compete on price with the larger store, small stores (of any kind) tend to differentiate based on customer loyalty, service, and selection. Humans are creatures of habit, and if we tend to use one local store and find them consistently closed on Sunday, then they will likely lose all our business. I mean, are you going to decide to only go to Stop&Shop on Sundays and go to Joe's store every other time? Probably not. instead, you'll just make it a point to change your habits and use S&S all the time.
Finally, most smaller stores are family-owned and -operated, and many do everything themselves. That means that if they have to remain open on Sundays to retain their customer base then it means they lose their one day off.
All that above is why smaller stores are "complaining" about Sunday sales.
Now, that said, from a purely economic perspective those smaller stores are actually enjoying an unfair advantage to some degree with the current "blue law" system, leveraging lack of sales on Sunday to take away from the larger "more efficient" stores by differentiating themselves. They can't compete on price, but they enjoy an advantage in lowering fixed expenses vis-a-vis the alcohol sales. Allowing sales on Sunday will remove that advantage.
In the end, if Sunday sales are allowed these smaller store will HAVE to open. They'll find a way to do it, hopefully by further leveraging that selection and service aspect (what, you think you're going to ask a S&S shelf clerk for a good recommendation for a beer for your next party? Miller Light, dude...!) I expect the ones that are currently operating on the expenses edge may fail, the rest will operate on thinner margins. And I personally won't change my habits of using the smaller, from friendly places, despite the ever-so-slightly higher prices.
GA |
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| said by gregamy:And I personally won't change my habits of using the smaller, from friendly places, despite the ever-so-slightly higher prices.
I haven't seen any liquor store with prices higher than grocery stores. |
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bennorPremium
join:2006-07-22
New Haven, CT | reply to gregamy
gregamy, all things being equal perhaps. However things are not quite equal since liquor stores (both small and large) sell alcohol other than the beer the grocery stores sell.
It should be noted that while it might be an added expense for liquor stores to pay employee's for opening on Sunday, most people I know, including myself, who have worked in a liquor store were pay by the hour with no additional benefits, as such if the store isn't open, no need to pay employees.
If small stores cannot compete on price now, how are they able to stay in business? Being open one more day won't affect that issue anyhow. People are creatures of habit. If they always shop at Stop and Shop for their beer, then that's where they'll shop on Sundays if they need beer. Same goes for the corner package store too since they sell liquor other than beer.
Same arguments being made now, were the same one's made when they talked about moved the closing hour from 8pm to 9 pm, yet my corner liquor store, and one farther up the street are both still in business even though they are now open till 9 pm. |
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gregamy
join:2003-05-22
Middletown, CT Reviews:
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| reply to mcevoys
The more I read into this bill, the stinkier it gets. There's a lot of "backroom deals" going on to get the package store lobby to acquiesce.
Today's big revelation (to me) is that the State is going to actively limit the number of stores that can open within a given area. Ever look into the economics of New York City taxi medallions? Same thing here. It ain't pretty. For packies, that "liquor store medallion" will be worth a lot of coin, even before they worry about business profits/losses.
Also, they're now talking about hanging on to minimum pricing. Ever find a government price control (high or low) that has worked?
So what at first glance appears to be loosening of our liberties and a gain for consumers is quickly looking to be a couple of lions fighting over an antelope: if you're the antelope, you're really not too concerned about whether the two lions come to an amicable compromise.
Guess who's going to pay for all this?
Yup.
Stinky. |
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GlennI'D Rather Be SkiingPremium
join:2000-10-05
Wallingford, CT Reviews:
·Comcast
| Agreed...it is starting to smell a bit. While the store owners have agreed to the Sunday sales...they don't want places like grocery and convenience stores to be able to sell.
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I ski at Mount Snow |
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gregamy
join:2003-05-22
Middletown, CT Reviews:
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| reply to gregamy
Here's a link to a good story in the Courant on the negotiation details...strangely, very little mention of the "taxi medallions".
The arguments - on both sides - are pretty stinky.
»www.courant.com/news/politics/hc···70.story |
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