Wal-Mart monopoly
Issue date: 12/5/08 Section: Opinion
In Macomb, the one place that all students and locals know about is Wal-Mart. At the beginning of every semester, the store is packed from floor to ceiling with products and people. New and returning Western Illinois University students bring their parents to buy them necessities for residence hall rooms, houses or apartments, as Wal-Mart employees watch merchandise fly off the shelves.
When the loving and helpful parents go home and leave their sons and daughters to their college lives, students hit up West Pierce Liquors and other liquor stores to start the semester off right. Soon, however, students may be able to purchase alcohol at the same place they buy everything else: Wal-Mart.
Nov. 30, on a request for a liquor license by the supercenter, a public hearing was held at a Macomb City Council meeting. The store would like to sell packaged goods, meaning alcohol has to be sold in the original package and cannot be consumed on the premises of where it was bought.
The ordinance will actually be voted on during the Dec. 15 meeting, but in typical city council meeting fashion, Dec. 8 marks the day for public discussion about the attainment of a liquor license. In the past, the chain has been turned down for the same thing they are now asking for, because there was a question if Wal-Mart would wipe out smaller local businesses.
This is a legitimate concern, and Wal-Mart should not be granted a liquor license for that very reason. As a supercenter, this conglomerate already gets a majority of the business in Macomb. Although you have those loyal patrons who refuse to give Wal-Mart the time of day, it still pulls significant numbers. The point of a small, locally owned business is to generate revenue from people who live in the town, no matter what type of store it is. Liquor stores are no exception, and would indeed take a hit if alcohol were sold at Wal-Mart.
All students have to see is cheap prices, one less stop and they've already forgotten about where they previously bought alcohol. Not to say that loyal customers won't continue to purchase liquor from where they are familiar with, but if you can buy your groceries and your liquor all at the same time and location, what's stopping you? Even if there isn't a huge amount of variety in the alcohol sold at the supercenter, which may force consumers elsewhere for certain types of drinks, indeed, someone will take a hit, and it won't be Wal-Mart if they are allowed to disperse alcohol.
When the loving and helpful parents go home and leave their sons and daughters to their college lives, students hit up West Pierce Liquors and other liquor stores to start the semester off right. Soon, however, students may be able to purchase alcohol at the same place they buy everything else: Wal-Mart.
Nov. 30, on a request for a liquor license by the supercenter, a public hearing was held at a Macomb City Council meeting. The store would like to sell packaged goods, meaning alcohol has to be sold in the original package and cannot be consumed on the premises of where it was bought.
The ordinance will actually be voted on during the Dec. 15 meeting, but in typical city council meeting fashion, Dec. 8 marks the day for public discussion about the attainment of a liquor license. In the past, the chain has been turned down for the same thing they are now asking for, because there was a question if Wal-Mart would wipe out smaller local businesses.
This is a legitimate concern, and Wal-Mart should not be granted a liquor license for that very reason. As a supercenter, this conglomerate already gets a majority of the business in Macomb. Although you have those loyal patrons who refuse to give Wal-Mart the time of day, it still pulls significant numbers. The point of a small, locally owned business is to generate revenue from people who live in the town, no matter what type of store it is. Liquor stores are no exception, and would indeed take a hit if alcohol were sold at Wal-Mart.
All students have to see is cheap prices, one less stop and they've already forgotten about where they previously bought alcohol. Not to say that loyal customers won't continue to purchase liquor from where they are familiar with, but if you can buy your groceries and your liquor all at the same time and location, what's stopping you? Even if there isn't a huge amount of variety in the alcohol sold at the supercenter, which may force consumers elsewhere for certain types of drinks, indeed, someone will take a hit, and it won't be Wal-Mart if they are allowed to disperse alcohol.
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 7
Tucker
posted 12/05/08 @ 5:48 PM CST
How does Wal-Mart have a monopoly? There are other places to buy alcohol, food, clothing, etc. Basic economics shows you that they can sell products a lot cheaper, because they buy large quantities of merchandise. (Continued…)
jesus
posted 12/05/08 @ 11:06 PM CST
"if you can buy your groceries and your liquor all at the same time and location, what's stopping you?"
what?? you already can. did you forget that hy-vee, neiman's, and aldes all sell liquor? i don't remember anyone throwing a fit about them getting a license and i'm pretty sure that none of them have wiped out any liquor stores. (Continued…)
USAR Retired
posted 12/06/08 @ 12:22 AM CST
My opinion is that there are enough establishments selling liquor in Macomb. WalMart is the kind of store who, can offer up alcoholic beverages at lower prices simply because of their size and sales volumes. (Continued…)
P.
posted 12/08/08 @ 5:28 PM CST
You all got it wrong about Walmart. Why deny a business a liquor license because Hyvee, Niemans, & Aldi's (which are also considered supermarkets), the dozen or so gas stations, and West Pierce Liquors all have them? Historically the prices of liquor in other Walmarts around the area that have it are within 50 cents to each other because they will not let people to competitor price liquor. (Continued…)
JR
posted 12/10/08 @ 1:56 PM CST
Ok there's a couple of things wrong with this article.
1. Wal-Mart is not a monoply, as previous posters have said there's other places to go for grociers CD's and DVD's. (Continued…)
Auston
posted 10/29/09 @ 6:57 AM CST
For one, the company has dominated its suppliers. Wal-Mart, which owns a hefty 30% vmware certification
of the U.S. consumer staples market and 15% to 20% of all music and video sales, plays a role in determining what gets sold. (Continued…)
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