Washington State Privatizes Liquor Sales. Win?

Pretty significant initiative just got passed here in Washington State after failing spectacularly numerous times over the years. What does it mean? Well the state, who until now ran ALL stores selling hard alcohol, will be out of the business of selling. Anyone can now open their own liquor store. Anyone who has a 10,000 sq foot place to sell it.

This initiative was paid for by Costco who has been dying to sell liquor in WA State for years. I don't think it does anything for small business. It's simply moving the liquor sales from the state to large corporations. While a lot of people are calling this a win it looks like it might actually make things worse.

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News article about it here.

reply to post by liquidsmoke206


Wow, I was totally unaware of the fact the state was running the liquor sales in Washington State...You have lived there all your life? Have you purchased liquor at a state run store? If so, have you purchased liquor outside the state at a proprietary (private) store? What was the differnece?

The state does the same in New Hampshire.

You can pull up any day and any time to load up on beer and wine but liquor has to be purchased from a state liquor store.

I went in once several years ago to pick up a bottle of something as a gift. They wanted to take my ID and scan it into their computer. I politely said "no, thanks I dont want this that badly."

That was the first and last time I ever went into a state liquor store.

For living with the whole "Live Free or Die" motto branded on everything New Hampshire really has some backwards Puritan type nonsense going on regarding state control of absurd things.

Oh, seems like a win for WA to me.

I see it as overall a good thing because I see governmental control over things that are "sin taxable" to be ridiculous. On the flip side of that, the wording of the initiative was obviously meant to exclude all but the largest chain stores in the state.

If you have never been into a state liquor store here in Washington let me just say that they are DEPRESSING. No music, very little chatter, no decor. It is obvious that the state does NOT want you to enjoy your booze. :-)

About damn time. The state has sold the booze since the end of prohibition.

I don't even know why we voted on this when Gregoire is proposing to cut funding for public school buses ENTIRELY.

reply to post by liquidsmoke206


We have got the same issue going here in Oregon.

And I hope they pass it.

reply to post by jeichelberg


Yes, I've lived in WA my whole life, yes I've purchased liquor in other states where it is available all over.

Sure it might be a little more convenient having it in grocery stores, but I fully expect the selection to be crappy. If size of space wasn't such an issue then small business owners could open up all kinds of cool shops and the state would probably see all kinds of new products. I know that if I go to the grocery store it's gonna be a lot of crown royal and kahlua.

I should mention that I'm a bartender so I have a unique perspective on this issue.

reply to post by dagobert

If you have never been into a state liquor store here in Washington let me just say that they are DEPRESSING. No music, very little chatter, no decor. It is obvious that the state does NOT want you to enjoy your booze.

So true. Most state stores, with the possible exception of the one in Langley on Whidbey Island, have a very communist feel to them. That's what happens when you have stuff thats state run. But I dont expect this new system to do anybody any real good.

This bill is terrible for a few reasons. First, only allowing huge stores to sell liquor is creating a monopoly for warehouse stores at the expense of small businesses. Second, they said in the voting pamphlet that the bill adds a big "sin tax" to the liquor, so it probably isn't going to save the citizens any money. It is another scam to enrich the rich, and do nothing for all of us.

reply to post by CB328


Exactly what I've been saying, you've summed it up nicely.

Sorry guys, this is not a win.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

The state does the same in New Hampshire.

You can pull up any day and any time to load up on beer and wine but liquor has to be purchased from a state liquor store.

Not true...you can't buy beer or wine from 11:45PM to 6AM.

I went in once several years ago to pick up a bottle of something as a gift. They wanted to take my ID and scan it into their computer. I politely said "no, thanks I dont want this that badly."

That was the first and last time I ever went into a state liquor store.

For living with the whole "Live Free or Die" motto branded on everything New Hampshire really has some backwards Puritan type nonsense going on regarding state control of absurd things.

I've bought in both types, and there usually isn't too much difference. I have bought in NH dozens of times and have never had anything except a credit card scanned. Did you ask they why they were scanning it? BH has a very brisk business in booze and butts, esp. on the weekends and holidays from out of state. The border state of Mass. allows sales in stores within a certain distance from the border; something like 10 miles. I remember when we were young, we'd stop at the packy to pick up "Nips for the ride". Not so funny, I know.

Perhaps you looked young to them? Maybe they thought your ID might be bogus and wanted to check? Next time, just ask the guy/gal at the register what they are scanning it for...they won't bite.

BOO!

reply to post by CB328

This bill is terrible for a few reasons. First, only allowing huge stores to sell liquor is creating a monopoly for warehouse stores at the expense of small businesses. Second, they said in the voting pamphlet that the bill adds a big "sin tax" to the liquor, so it probably isn't going to save the citizens any money. It is another scam to enrich the rich, and do nothing for all of us.

Well, the sin tax is the killer. It takes away the competition factor. The govt gets to set the profit margin that way. But other than that, private enterprise will outperform govt work every time.

I remember my first trip to Las Vegas. Arrived Sunday afternoon, got settled in, then went shopping. I was in a drugstore, I believe, where I saw booze for sale. I asked one of the gals working there if I could buy booze on Sunday. She just smiled and said "Honey, this is Las Vegas. You can buy whatever you want".

reply to post by liquidsmoke206


Well, whatever the outcome, I certainly hope it does not adversely affect your chosen avocation...on the other hand, it does allow for private business to make some some profit instead of all the profits from liquor sales going to the state...The sin tax is a form of prohibition in that it is "prohibitive." (i.e., discourages purchase by making the item more costly) As we have all seen, this does not work at all...need a different direction...

This was nothing more than "controlled prohibition". You could only buy liquor on certain days of the week, at certain times, and never on holidays.

Government is too big. What are they doing with a retail sales store to begin with?

This is a huge WIN for the consumer and the State. There will be plenty of new fees associated with private sales to replace the loss of revenue from State Stores.

It was so unbelievably inconvenient to have to go to a separate store to purchase liquor AND on top of that the State Liquor Store could not sell anything that didn't contain alchohol. So if you needed mixers or ice - off to another store you had to go. So ridiculous.

I can't wait for the private sector to take over.

I look forward to "Private Liquor Stores" that can offer not only a better selection, but all the goodies you like to have with your drink.

What a great opputunity for a new business. And you can hire all the state liquor employees that already know their stuff because now they have a "specialty experience" to offer liquor stores as an employee.

Maybe a store where you go in and they do demonstrations on how to make good drinks. And teach you the difference between alchohols and brands, etc. Maybe a good job change for a bartender. Lots of possibilities.

I would LOVE that.

Reply to post by mishigas

They scanned the guy in front of me. All this info and his photo came up on the screen like it was some ultra high security facility or something.

I live closer to the Canada border than the Mass border.

No way I look a day younger than 45 and I'm still in my 30's. Massive gray beard and weather beaten skin and all.

I don't know why they wanted to scan it and I didn't care. Nobody has ever attempted to do that for beer or wine.

Of all the things that the state has to get involved with here not pistol permits not vehicle registration not hardly anything as far as Ive noticed but liquor sales. That screams suspicious as hell to me.


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reply to post by thisguyrighthere

It is a win win... The thieves in Olympia already announced they were not going to share any of the revenue from liquor sales anyway. Washing is already the primo Nanny State as it is Just one more thing they wont have under their control.. (Remember the painted rocks fiasco?)

I've also lived here all my life. Costco bought this election by spending $22 million on advertising. The fact is that the liquor stores paid for themselves. After all the costs, including employees and their pensions were paid, any profit went to state coffers. $425 million last year alone. Because of a provision in the initiative, there will be a 27% extra tax on liquor that will result in the state making even more money, at least for awhile. I believe the idea is to phase it out. Any way you look at it, 1,000 people lose their jobs. These aren't surly civil service employees; they always get high marks for courtesy.

Now to the economics of it. Right now, today, I can buy a bottle of wine at the state store for $5.99. That exact same bottle of wine costs $10.99 at the grocery store across the street. Do you think that because this initiative just passed that the grocery store is now going to lower its price to $5.99? Maybe you will be able to buy a bottle of scotch more cheaply. I don't know; I don't drink hard liquor. All I know is that very likely my wine bill just doubled.

I'm surprised the anti-corporate types on here, surely the majority, aren't jumping up and down over how Costco bought this election. It's the most blatant purchasing of an election I have ever seen. Without that $22 million this never would have passed.

It's a mixed blessing, for sure.

reply to post by mishigas

I remember my first trip to Las Vegas. Arrived Sunday afternoon, got settled in, then went shopping. I was in a drugstore, I believe, where I saw booze for sale. I asked one of the gals working there if I could buy booze on Sunday. She just smiled and said "Honey, this is Las Vegas. You can buy whatever you want".

and the stores are 24 hours if they want to.

most bars are 24 hours 7 days.

all you need for a 24 hour license is a 24 hour restaurant.

all the casinos are 24/7 liquor and food.

most bars have slot machine games and so do 7-11 stores, gas stations, grocery stores, etc.

wild.

Lived in Washington for 18 years all over the age of 21, hated going to the "STORE". Moved to Las vegas a couple of years ago and wow, it everywhere. Over the summer hit az, and ca, same. Good shopping and at lower prices then i see up in the heavy tax area of washington. Hope it gets better for you guys.

Welcome to another example of the Government not engaging in free market capitalism and producing a bill that not only price fixes but then taxes the hell out of you in the process. I'm sure they give property tax breaks to Cost Co in Washington as well so you're probably losing tax revenue for the state while big box stores like Cost Co reap the profits. In my opinion that's just stupid.