Pressure on for food stores to sell liquor

Press, 18 March 1982, Page 25

Pressure on for food stores to sell liquor

With liquor stores becoming more like supermarkets, the pressure is on for food stores to sell their own liquor. The National Association of Retail Grocers and Supermarkets set up a special committee last year to press for legislative changes allowing food stores to sell liquor, particularly wine. The president of the association, Mr J. E. Penny, said in Wellington that talks had already started with the Government. Supermarket liquor sales were a common practice in Australia and the United States. A few NewZealand stores, including his own. were also selling wine without any problems. "It is not new and we want to see it opened up more so that it can be a total food and wine thing,” he said. "Why can a restaurant do it and not a grocer’s shop?” At present a Redcliffs supermarket working with an existing licence is probably the only Christchurch store selling wine, but most other local supermarkets would be interested in the idea if the legislation changed. The general manager of G.U.S. Wholesalers, Ltd, Mr K. G. Daldorf, which runs I.G.A. and Supervalue, said that the move was inevitable but it would probably take a couple of years rather than overnight. The manager of Warner’s Hotel. Mr E. Hunter, was not worried about competition for large-scale liquor outlets but said the idea could have a "disastrous" effect on small wine shops and hotel bottle stores. Combining wine and food sales was a good idea but there were possible social disadvantages, he said. American supermarkets had problems with children open-

ing bottles and cans. “We have enough difficulty in here stopping mum and dad coming in with the children.” said Mr Hunter. The Temperance Alliance and the Alcoholic Liquor Advisory Council have already come' out against the idea. The Canterbury Community Council on Alcohol also opposes any legislation allow-

ing food stores to sell liquor, saying that more outlets would lead to more drinking and further problems. The C.C.C.A.'s publicity officer, Miss J. Sotheran. said that it planned lobbying local members of Parliament to block the proposal. “Hopefully. groups like ours can try and knock it on the head,” she said.