The state’s Alcoholic Beverage Commission has released its latest list of grocery stores that will be able to sell wine starting July 1. More than 430 have gotten approved so far.
Kroger has the largest number of stores with licenses, with 109 locations throughout the state. Walmart has 104 locations; Food City has 69. To get a license, the stores have to be located in municipalities that approved a wine-in-grocery-store referendum in 2014.
Another 150 stores applied for wine licenses but have not yet received approval from the state, according to the commission — either because they applied too late or because they’re missing required documents.
Click and zoom in on our map to view which stores are eligible to sell wine. Sales can begin next Friday at 8 a.m.
Grocery stores are clearly impatient for the law to go into effect: Most Krogers in Middle Tennessee that are able to sell wine have already stocked their shelves in preparation, according to a spokeswoman. Nashville Scene reporter Cari Wade Gervin tweeted out a photo this week of a Trader Joe’s ticket that allows customers to get in line to buy a bottle next Friday.
Trader Joe’s seems pretty excited about WIGS. Getting in line at 7:30 am?
pic.twitter.com/hDuXP4d4F3— Cari Wade Gervin (@carigervin)
June 22, 2016
Meanwhile, liquor stores are less excited. The owner of Vine & Barrel in Chattanooga
told WRCB-TV last month that wine makes up almost half of the store’s sales. “We know we’re gonna lose some sales from it,” said Steve Nix, although he pointed out that his store will offer a bigger selection than grocery stores.
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