Wal-Mart may actually be making a positive change in Texas

[kjbeggs]

Wal-Mart is suing the state of Texas to change the law that disallows publicly traded companies from selling liquor here.

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/20150212-wal-mart-sues-the-state-of-texas-seeks-chance-to-sell-liquor.ece

[squire]

Speaking solely as a consumer I'm siding with Walmart.

[dcbt]

The more competition the better. I still don't know if I'd brave a trip inside Walmart, though... If WMT eats up mom and pops, though, I may be forced there. On second thought, let's keep things as they are.

Edited February 13, 2015 by dcbt

[TunnelTiger]

I haven't been in a Walmart in years. Just can't stand it. Then again I haven't been in a shopping mall in years either.

I think I've become that grouchy old man down the street that I disliked as a kid.

[kjbeggs]

Years ago, when I worked in retail management (Home Depot), I had quite a few run-ins with Wal-Mart.

Now, I don't mind a run through there during off-peak hours. Hell, I can get some socks, groceries, and a box of ammo in one stop. Adding a bottle of bourbon to the mix would be nice.

I really appreciate the convenience of grabbing a bottle of whiskey at the grocery store when I visit my wife's family in Illinois. (Without having to drag her to a liquor store).

However, I DO NOT want Wal-Mart putting the local independents out of business.

Now, if they flex their retail muscle and get all the PVW/BTAC and drop the price from the stores that want to gouge, I'd be OK with that.

[p_elliott]

The Wal-Marts up here that sell liquor don't have much of a selection.

[mbroo5880i]

Wal-Marts in Indiana may soon be able to sell liquor on Sundays but their ability to sell liquor in general may be significantly impacted by the bill in the link below.

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/02/11/restrictions-added-sunday-alcohol-sales-bill/23232489/

[soad]

Years ago, when I worked in retail management (Home Depot),Hell, I can get some socks, groceries, and a box of ammo in one stop. Adding a bottle of bourbon to the mix would be nice.

Ammo and bourbon at the same time? God Bless America!!

[Xevious]

I'm indifferent to having liquor available in Wal-Mart (or drug stores, etc). What I do want is for liquor to be available on Sundays. Seems like ever time I want to stop by the liquor store it's Sunday.

There are liquor stores at every corner in Texas. I could see that changing real quick if Wal-Mart starts selling (even with a poor selection), putting a lot of folks out of business. The Specs, Total Wines, etc are already undercutting most of the smaller stores in price anyway with a better selection, so just keep things as they are I say.

[Grain Belt]

I don't have a dog in this hunt. Also I don't shop Wal-Mart hardly at all.......... Except when I need Angostura bitters, regular and orange. They are $4.99 and $5.99 respectively for the 4 oz. bottles. This is $5 to $10(!) dollars less than I have seen these products several other places. With a price like that I swallow my pride and head right to the Wal-Mart 2 miles away and buy 2 of each and hustle my cheap oversized rear end right out of that hot mess. :slappin:

[mbroo5880i]

I'm indifferent to having liquor available in Wal-Mart (or drug stores, etc). What I do want is for liquor to be available on Sundays. Seems like ever time I want to stop by the liquor store it's Sunday.

There are liquor stores at every corner in Texas. I could see that changing real quick if Wal-Mart starts selling (even with a poor selection), putting a lot of folks out of business. The Specs, Total Wines, etc are already undercutting most of the smaller stores in price anyway with a better selection, so just keep things as they are I say.

Wal-Marts in Indiana have sold hard liquor for years. Not a great variety but what you would expect for Wal-Mart...Beam, Maker's, Woodford, Evan Williams, Bulleit. The bigger impact on smaller stores is the mega-chain. In Indiana, that would be Big Red. They have grown their business through acquisition. They have squeezed the small guys out and started raising prices immediately. There are still small stores in the Indy area but the market is dominated by three major chains.

[wadewood]

The more important point is that Texas, a proclaimed pro business friendly state, has a law that prevents any publicly held company from selling spirits. This law was put in place in 1995 after a court ruling voided a previous law that preventer out of state ownership. The law was designed to protect existing liquor store owners interest and reeks of back room deal making. Go Walmart!

[dcbt]

The more important point is that Texas, a proclaimed pro business friendly state, has a law that prevents any publicly held company from selling spirits. This law was put in place in 1995 after a court ruling voided a previous law that preventer out of state ownership. The law was designed to protect existing liquor store owners interest and reeks of back room deal making. Go Walmart!

Isn't that what Spec's is suing about? To get Total Wine out of Texas?

[sailor22]

In Florida some WalMarts sell liquor. If your taste runs to lower end Beam products, Crown Royal and bottom shelf Vodka you will be happy with the selection. Unfortunately those are the volume and profit producers for small mom and pop liquor stores.

[kjbeggs]

I don't really care at this point if Wal-Mart starts selling liquor in TX. I'll still do the majority of my shopping at my favorite independents.

what I do hope, is that this is a step in getting all these stupid laws changed. (No publicly held companies..., no liquor sales on Sundays, no shipping liquor to TX from out of state, etc.)

[weller_tex]

I don't really care at this point if Wal-Mart starts selling liquor in TX. I'll still do the majority of my shopping at my favorite independents.

what I do hope, is that this is a step in getting all these stupid laws changed. (No publicly held companies..., no liquor sales on Sundays, no shipping liquor to TX from out of state, etc.)

The Wal Marts that carry liquor in New Mexico have a very limited selection. Wal Mart isn't going to carry anything that does not sell well.

[The Black Tot]

I too think that Texas laws are all twisted up and Spec's has been getting preferential treatment for far too long.

At the same time, I also think that Wal-Mart winning this case will squeeze out a lot of sales for the small independents for the bottom shelf stuff.

I think the latter means more to me than the former.

I'd rather see no-chain legislation like some states have, but with Spec's and now Total in operation, it would be too hard to break them up.

But then, we love Liquor Barn and Binny's...

It seems to be just that Total Wine and Spec's are bad megastores. Wal-Mart isn't going to improve that. As I was driving through Texas this last break, I saw some very depressing sights - wet county borders that had old abandoned liquor stores that looked like they'd be a bourbon lover's dream, now closed and rotting because a crappy megastore has opened next door. I didn't just see this in one place - it seemed to be everywhere.

Lotta ins, lotta outs. But few times have I concluded that a victory for Wal-Mart was a victory for the people.

[PaulO]

I rarely go to Walmart. As previously mentioned, they only carry the most common bourbons. I don't think they would bother with anything that has any supply chain issues: no limited editions or anything like that. Probably the best you can do there is WT 101 or MM. I go to a small liquor store right across the parking lot from a Walmart. I go for Old Forester Sig, HH 6 year, SAOS, and other stuff Walmart doesn't have.

[Wild1z]

I live in a city that has Municipal Liquor. Many cities around me are open market. I like the variety and they all survive as it is. I do know that our Municipals' revenues go into the general fund for Parks. Last year it amounted to about a Million dollars. Knowing how thin budgets are and the money it takes to cut the grass, remove snow.. ect.. that is a lot of money to benefit services for the public. I'm not a Democrat but this just makes sense for me to support. So I do what I can to support them.

We all have our reasons for buying where we buy, I think it all works out in the end.

[Xevious]

It seems to be just that Total Wine and Spec's are bad megastores. Wal-Mart isn't going to improve that. As I was driving through Texas this last break, I saw some very depressing sights - wet county borders that had old abandoned liquor stores that looked like they'd be a bourbon lover's dream, now closed and rotting because a crappy megastore has opened next door. I didn't just see this in one place - it seemed to be everywhere.

[kjbeggs]

See, the problem is that the megastores can completely undercut the independent stores' prices and have a better selection. I'm not interested in dusty hunting, or buying LEs... I just want readily available stuff off the shelf. I have a small liquor store near my house I'd love to shop at, but their prices are easily 5 - 10 dolars more than Specs for items I buy. And they don't have others I want, like BIBs. This seems to be true of most independent stores Ive visited. So my cheap ass usually just drives a couple miles further to Specs.

I'd gladly support a local shop if the prices were competitive and they had a decent selection. But I really don't see smaller shops moving enough of the bottles I want to make it worthwhile to them. I live in Tequila and Vodka town afterall.

Quite often, I now spend $5.00 or so more on easy to find bottles at an independent store close to my office, which has a Spec's a couple of hundred yards away.

For that extra expense, I've gotten:

-Free bottles thrown in to a couple of purchases

-Hard to find bottles set aside for me, just in case I might want them

-Invitations to special events at the store

-Phone calls when rare items have arrived

-Participation in selecting the store's private barrel from 4Roses

-Invite to a free dinner/sampling of Louis XIII Cognac

-A store owner I now consider a friend

A few years ago, I signed up for a Spec's card, started driving across town to shop almost exclusively at one location, and went out of my way to get to know the "Liquor manager".

For my effort, I got:

-The occasional discount on a bottle

-Misinformed salespeople trying to sell me bottles I had no interest in

-An explanation (after I asked), that all highly limited releases (Think PVW/BTAC, etc.) were now going through the district management, with the majority going to restaurants/bars, so not to expect anything moving forward.

[The Black Tot]

Kelly just nailed it.

[bearmark]

Quite often, I now spend $5.00 or so more on easy to find bottles at an independent store close to my office, which has a Spec's a couple of hundred yards away.

For that extra expense, I've gotten:

-Free bottles thrown in to a couple of purchases

-Hard to find bottles set aside for me, just in case I might want them

-Invitations to special events at the store

-Phone calls when rare items have arrived

-Participation in selecting the store's private barrel from 4Roses

-Invite to a free dinner/sampling of Louis XIII Cognac

-A store owner I now consider a friend

A few years ago, I signed up for a Spec's card, started driving across town to shop almost exclusively at one location, and went out of my way to get to know the "Liquor manager".

For my effort, I got:

-The occasional discount on a bottle

-Misinformed salespeople trying to sell me bottles I had no interest in

-An explanation (after I asked), that all highly limited releases (Think PVW/BTAC, etc.) were now going through the district management, with the majority going to restaurants/bars, so not to expect anything moving forward.

Ditto. This kind of personalized service is worth it to me. I won't bother with Wal-Mart except for vodka.

[dcbt]

Costco is getting in on this now too:

"Costco has joined Kroger and Wal-Mart in their efforts to get the Texas Legislature to change the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code that prohibits public companies from selling liquor in the state..."

more here: http://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/2015/03/costco-joins-kroger-and-wal-mart-in-efforts-to-change-liquor-laws.html/