Walgreens wants in the beer and wine business

Geeky Swedes Ballard

Walgreens wants in the beer and wine business. Late last year they applied for liquor licenses to sell beer and wine in at least 14 locations in Seattle, including the Ballard store on the southwest corner of 15th Ave. NW and NW Market St.

The liquor license requests are part of a national rollout to provide additional convenience to Walgreens customers, Walgreens spokesman Robert Elfinger said. “We’re basically responding to customer demand. Our customers want more of a one-stop shopping experience, where they can buy a range of products at one location,” Elfinger tells our partners at PhinneyWood.

A limited selection of alcohol will take up less than 2 percent of total shelf space in the stores. “We’re going to be a drug store first and foremost,” Elfinger said. “There’s going to be no single servings, no 40 ounces, no minis, anything that’s conducive to alcohol abuse.”

It will be the store’s policy to card everyone who looks younger than 40 and employees will receive training on how to handle sales, Elfinger said. “We’re going to do this very safely and very responsibly.”

Geeky Swedes

The founders of My Ballard

32 thoughts to “Walgreens wants in the beer and wine business”

  2. anti-freeze? are you even reading the same article?

    maybe you should stay away from the store and alcohol in general if you're not able to read/understand a simple story.

  3. Great, just what we need, discount booze. Maybe Walgreens has noticed that most of their stores are already hobo-magnets and wants to cash in?

  4. I thought Walgreens was a cigarette shop, as that's what they offer closest to the entrance and exit. “We get you coming and going,” said the depressed worn young cashier to me last time i was there, highlighting the conveniently illness causing and illness-treating products they offer.

  5. for the few of you who are already complaining and obviously haven't competently read the article: “There’s going to be no single servings, no 40 ounces, no minis, anything that’s conducive to alcohol abuse.”

  6. how is this different than two of the other three corners at the intersection that sell beer and wine? Except you can buy singles at the other two.

  8. It's a business decision, and theirs alone to make.
    It should certainly increase sales, and customer convenience.
    I don't blame the choices of some on the businesses that serve them.

  9. I'm surprised Walgreens didn't take this step years ago– it just makes sense for a large chain business like theirs, considering all the other large chain drug and convenience stores are or have done the same.

    But I still found this humorous: “There’s going to be no single servings, no 40 ounces, no minis, anything that’s conducive to alcohol abuse.” Because alcohol abuse comes in serving sizes, too! :P

  10. the logic is flawed Elfinger's statement that selling alcohol in greater quantities is not conducive to alcohol abuse. While it's likely true that selling alcohol in larger packages is less likely to result in visible alcohol use right outside the store, the idea that selling alcohol in larger quantities results in less likelihood of abuse is ridiculous, wrong, and false. If you believe Elfinger's claim, you probably think eating more high-calorie food will make you slimmer, and I would have to disagree with you on that, no matter how strongly or loudly you hold to beliefs such as that.

  11. i can already see the ads: “buy 1 bottle of Gallo wine, get 1 Robitussin at half-price.” or how about: “heighten the impact and lower your risk of alcohol abuse by purchasing 2 cases of beer instead of 1.” “Buy 10 packs of cigarettes and get 1 pack of cough drops for a whopping 2% discount!” “Try our new double fat diet-pill mint chip Ice Cream.” Oh Walgreens, you bring such immeasurable innovation to our world.

  13. (shrug) Big smegging deal. It's a convenience, not a sign of the apocalypse. If I have to go to Wallgreens and also need beer it'll be nice. Though, I doubt it'll be cheaper and colder than what I can get at Tabaco Plus up the street.

  14. “kim 2 hours ago
    convenience? seems walgreen's wants to cater to our *locals* great move. keep the antifreeze coming.”

    I bet you are a ton of fun to be around.

  15. In other states they actually have Walgreen's liquor stores. This isn't a new venture for them, just expanding with how they run in other states. If we loosen up our achohol laws then I can guarantee you they will have full liquor stores here as well.

  16. I love the comment about “responding to customer demand”. Well, if enough customers demanded hookers and free crack, would Walgreen's accomodate?

  18. I love this comment! You could go on and on and on and on……………

    i can already see the ads: “buy 1 bottle of Gallo wine, get 1 Robitussin at half-price.” or how about: “heighten the impact and lower your risk of alcohol abuse by purchasing 2 cases of beer instead of 1.” “Buy 10 packs of cigarettes and get 1 pack of cough drops for a whopping 2% discount!” “Try our new double fat diet-pill mint chip Ice Cream.” Oh Walgreens, you bring such immeasurable innovation to our world.

  23. Umm, sarcasm? My point being that whenever does a large corporation listen to customer demands? My point being, for the utterly dense, is that were hookers and free crack offered at Walgreens and there was a run on same, that Walgreens would count that as “customer demand”.

  26. Single servings of malt liquor and 40oz beers are very popular amongst the street drunks. No people I know who enjoy an occasional beer with a meal or a couple beers after work purchase them in single servings or in 40oz bottles. That is the key difference. Beyond catering to street drunks, there is no difference in how you sell beer that would make one more or less likely to abuse it.
    Name, From your post you make an argument with the tone of someone who's parents were alcoholics and now has to avoid it entirely. I have no idea if that's the case, but for people without that burden being able to buy beer in one more place isn't that big a deal. Having one more place that sells alcohol without catering to the convenience and preferences of street inebriates isn't an issue.

  27. Their spokesman should have just said “We won't be serving the drunken bums who like to hang out in alleys, so don't worry about it.”

  29. I sometimes buy the 40oz bottles if I have to (budget) and I know a few others who do that. But you're right, those big single serving cans I see mostly being bought by street drunks.
    And I was thinking Name was either very close to and poorly treated by an alcoholic or is a recovering one himself. My dad talked like that in his early recovery years.

  30. They can't sell gin anywhere BUT local liquor stores. And unless they sell kegs, I don't think we have to worry about the college kids.

  32. Why not first figure out how to get checkers and a checkout system that don't take 3 minutes to run your credit card for a single box of Q-Tips?

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