The Council is reviewing a resolution that would encourage the Maryland General Assembly to allow all grocery stores to sell wine and beer, not just some.
DICKERSON, Md. — Maryland is one of only four states that prohibit alcohol sales in grocery stores, except for a few places that were grandfathered in when laws changed in 1978.
However, on Tuesday, the Prince George’s County Council discussed a resolution encouraging Maryland’s General Assembly to change the law so all grocery stores can sell wine and beer, a move that some believe could help address food insecurity in the area. Currently, state law prevents grocery stores from selling beer and wine, a decades-long practice that some business owners argue protects local liquor stores.
Councilmember Wanika Fisher supports the resolution, highlighting the potential economic benefits for grocery stores, particularly in underserved communities.
“We need supermarkets to be anchors,” Fisher explained. “Supermarkets only survive on a 9% profit margin, and beer and wine can be that 3% gap. Now it’s millions of dollars, whatever it is, but that percentage will make a difference when I’m choosing to go into a community that might have as high incomes because I have the ability to now sell beer and wine and so I can be there.”
However, not everyone is on board. Some liquor store owners fear that allowing alcohol sales in grocery stores could negatively impact their businesses. Jimmy Spiropoulos, owner of Town Center Market, warned that the market for alcohol sales in Maryland isn’t limitless.
“Regardless of how many alcohol outlets we have in the state of Maryland, that pie does not get any bigger,” Spiropoulos said. “The pie just gets sliced up into much smaller pieces if grocery stores are able to sell beer and wine.”
The resolution is still in its early stages and will need to go through committee before it is considered for a vote. If passed, it could mark the beginning of a significant shift in Maryland’s alcohol sales policies.