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Americans Skip Bar, Buy Booze at Grocery Store

Sales of beer, wine surge at convenience shops, drug stores

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 29, 2009 5:27 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Recession-strapped Americans are hitting the bar less and less, but they’re not giving up drinking: sales of beer and wine at grocery and convenience stores have ballooned, prompting many shops to start offering alcohol. Between September 2008 and last month, the number of stores selling beer shot up by 2,600—even though the overall number of grocery, convenience, and drug stores fell by 3,000.

Wine wholesalers have seen business shift from their hard-hit restaurant and bar clients to a new crop of stores—among them chains such as Walgreens and Family Dollar—that had previously spurned alcohol. Cheap drinks are a fairly sure bet in an uncertain climate: alcohol “"isn't recession-proof, but it is somewhat recession-resilient," says a beverage exec. "When times are good, people drink. When times are bad, people also drink."

Miller Genuine Draft 64 at a grocery store.
Miller Genuine Draft 64 at a grocery store.   (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Miller Lite in the grocery aisle.
Miller Lite in the grocery aisle.   (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 9 comments
diltsduo
Oct 31, 2009 5:26 AM CDT
That's what I was thinking. Who's going to pay 4 bucks for a shot at the bar when they can buy a whole 1.75 of vodka for $12?
GeminiMishy
Oct 30, 2009 9:13 AM CDT
Funny to see this article. I just saw a posting for the ABC license in my Walgreens window. I was so flippin excited. Sad really, the things that make me happy...
GeminiMishy
Oct 30, 2009 9:12 AM CDT
Been to NYC one time at a club. We spent 70 on 4 drinks. NEVER again.

 
alcohol • beer • drinks • Walgreens • grocery stores

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