STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The National Supermarket Association (NSA), which represents independent supermarkets across NYC -- including Superfresh, KeyFood, Met Foodmarkets, Foodtown and at least 34 other stores -- is urging lawmakers to modernize state liquor laws and allow grocery stores to sell wine.
“For decades, our supermarkets have served as the cornerstone of food access in New York’s underserved neighborhoods,” Nelson Eusebio, director of government relations for the NSA, noted in a press release. “We are not corporate giants -- we are small, family-owned businesses fighting to survive in an increasingly difficult market. Allowing grocery stores to sell wine is not just about fairness; it’s about ensuring the survival of the independent supermarkets that so many communities rely on.”
The NSA argued that the current prohibition on wine sales in grocery stores is an outdated policy that harms consumers, local grocers and New York’s own wine industry.
“With operating costs rising and competition from corporate chains and online retailers increasing, independent grocers are being denied an important revenue opportunity that could help them remain competitive and keep prices affordable for customers,” the press release continued.
The push for wine sales in NYC grocery stores is not new: Similar bills have been floated in the past but have not succeeded, thanks in part to strong opposition from liquor store owners.
“We only sell two products -- wine and liquor,” Michael Correra, a Bay Ridge liquor store owner and the executive director of the Metropolitan Package Store Association, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to representing the business interests of more than 3,000 liquor stores in New York state, told the Advance/SILive last year when a similar bill was being considered.
“Taking one of those products away would kill us,” Correra continued. “There is a tremendous amount of empty stores throughout the city and state already; the last thing we need is more.”
Correra, who voiced his opposition to this new bill in his monthly newsletter, said the legislation is in the best interest of “billionaire-backed supermarkets,” not the small store owners who rely on wine sales to stay afloat.
“Big box supermarkets, including Wegmans, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, and Whole Foods (which is owned by Amazon), are once again propelling legislation posing a serious threat to independent, family-owned liquor stores …,” he noted. “We’ve seen the harmful effects of Wine in Groceries (WIGS) in Colorado, where independent package stores have been forced to close, causing hundreds to lose their jobs so far… According to the Denver Gazette, industry experts speculate as many as 400 local wine and liquor stores in the state will close by 2026.”
But the NSA refuted those claims, pointing to a report by John Dunham & Associates that found that independent liquor stores continued to succeed by focusing on curated selections, craft spirits and personalized customer service.
And many lawmakers are already on board.
“New York’s laws around wine sales haven’t been updated in nearly a century, and it’s time for a real conversation about modernizing them in a way that benefits everyone -- small business owners, consumers, and wineries alike,” said New York State Sen. Leroy Comrie.
Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman called the legislation a “win for consumers, local businesses, and our state’s thriving wine industry.”
“This reform will make life more convenient for working families while providing a much-needed boost to New York’s vineyards and wineries, helping them flourish in a competitive market,” Zinerman said. “It’s time for New York to join the majority of the country in embracing this practical and beneficial change.”