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.”