Walgreens has filed an application with the Memphis Alcohol Commission to sell beer at more than 30 of its stores in the city as part of a national sales strategy.
The retail pharmacy chain is getting back in the business of selling alcohol after deciding in the 1990s to stop carrying liquor, wine and beer at most of its stores, said Robert Elfinger, a corporate spokesman for Walgreens, which is based in Deerfield, Ill. This time around, the chain will limit itself to beer and wine in most markets, he said. Tennessee, Mississippi and some other Southern states limit wine and liquor sales to “package” stores, or ones that strictly sell alcohol.
In other markets across the nation, Walgreens once offered all the items to stock a liquor cabinet, wine chiller or beer fridge. It still offers a full line of alcohol in a handful of states such as Arizona and New Mexico.
“This is only a very limited selection of beer and wine, but in Memphis it’s just beer,” Elfinger said. “In most of the country, we’re trying for sections of beer and wine and it’s less than 2 percent of the shelf space. So this is probably less than 1 percent of the total shelf space in the Memphis stores. It’s just beer.”
The company reversed itself on alcohol sales because of consumer demand, he said.
“We think demand has increased for moderate beer and wine purchases,” Elfinger said. “Beer and wine have become just a little bit more American main stream. You have the Food Network kind of stressing the pairing of certain wines with certain foods. You have the microbrewery phenomenon and then the imports. People are just a little more accepting of beer and wine.”
With Walgreens’ “very good and convenient locations,” it made sense for the stores to stock beer, he said.
“The licensing and the rollout have gone really smooth in Tennessee,” he said. “I think people realize that we are a very responsible retailer. I think we will provide a very safe and comfortable atmosphere to offer these products.”
Anyone who wishes to circulate a petition for or against beer sales at any of the Walgreens locations in Memphis must file it with the commission no later than next Tuesday.