A vote to allow Colorado grocery and convenience stores the ability to sell wine was nearly even as the state counted ballots Tuesday evening.
Those in favor of Proposition 125 accounted for 50.1% of the more than 1.1 million votes counted as of 7:56 p.m., according to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office. Voters deciding against the measure accounted for 49.90%.
Under Proposition 125, any store that already can sell beer (or other malt beverages such as hard seltzer or lemonade) would be allowed in March to start selling wine. That would mean grocery stores such as King Soopers and Safeway — which can only sell beer now — would be able to stock their shelves with whites, reds and rosés.
Colorado law currently only permits stores with a broader liquor license to sell wine and other vinous liquors (wine coolers, sake, cider and mead).
The measure is one of three on the ballot this year concerning how alcohol is bought and sold in Colorado. Collectively, Tuesday's results have the chance to revamp the state's liquor economy.
In addition to Proposition 125, other measures ask voters to decide whether liquor stores should be allowed to increase the number of storefronts they can operate (Proposition 124) and whether third-party delivery companies (such as Instacart or DoorDash) should be allowed to bring alcohol to your doorstep (Proposition 126).
These measures have brought big-time money — nearly $20 million — into the state from national corporations looking to tip the scale in their direction, essentially turning the ballot measures into a referendum on the big guys vs. locally owned stores.
Proponents say the 2019 law change allowing grocery stores to sell full-strength beer is proof that there's room for everyone.
"Grocery stores sell full-strength beer, there's the same number of liquor stores today as before, and shoppers can choose between the convenience of a grocery store and the selection of a liquor store," Michelle Lyng, a spokesperson for the pro-Proposition 125 and 126 efforts, told The Denver Post last month.
Small liquor stores, though, argue that having to compete with national grocery chains could land an irreparable blow to their businesses.
"By expanding the number of stores selling wine, large corporate grocery chains will use their national buying power and predatory pricing practices to undercut our local stores, making it nearly impossible to compete," Keep Colorado Local, a coalition of small business owners, said in its campaign materials.
No comments:
Post a Comment