Walgreen Co. is applying for liquor licenses to sell beer and wine in at least 14 locations in Seattle, including the Greenwood store at 8701 Greenwood Ave. N and the Ballard store on the southwest corner of 15th Avenue NW and Market Street.
According to other media reports, including these here and here, Walgreens is applying for liquor licenses in many markets, aiming to create more of a one-stop shopping experience.
We’ve left messages with a corporate spokesman and will provide more details when we get them.
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 said.
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.”
9 responses so far ↓
1 Al Coholic // Jan 19, 2010 at 10:14 am
Me likey booze!
2 ballardmike // Jan 19, 2010 at 10:56 am
Ya gotta have beer to go w/ Hot Pockets!
3 Alysse // Jan 19, 2010 at 11:08 am
Aren’t there enough places already selling beer and wine? Don’t get me wrong, we do drink, but I don’t like it being sold at convenience type stores. Maybe I should open a liquor store and start up a prescription counter inside?
Oh the convenience factor! Now while I’m waiting 35 minutes for the pharmacy to fill the prescription, I can stay in the store and pick out my dinner wine instead of popping across the street to Safeway. And while they’re at it maybe Walgreens can open a deli counter, butcher counter, etc.
4 Pat // Jan 19, 2010 at 12:20 pm
And those folks talking about the Corner Mart closing, pondering where folks are going to buy their booze… here ya go.
5 Iron City Mike // Jan 19, 2010 at 12:56 pm
I’m all for the free market - if Walgreens wants to compete with Safeway by selling beer and wine, more power to them. You don’t know how good you have it here - in Pennsylvania, you can only buy wine from a state store open limited hours, and beer by the CASE (no six packs!) from a beer distributer, or at a bar at grossly inflated prices.
6 BroadviewBully // Jan 19, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Instead of allowing the sale of beer and wine at Walgreens, why doesn’t the state do all of its alcohol consuming citizens a favor and allow all forms of alcohol to be sold at the same type of store. Doesn’t matter if its a liquor store, grocery store, Costco, etc. The real inconvenience is having to go to different places to by hard liquor vs. beer and wine.
7 Fnarf // Jan 19, 2010 at 11:48 pm
Amen, Broadview Bully. Why is the state in the liquor sales business at all? Regulate, sure. Tax, sure, that’s fine. But why are they SELLING the stuff?
8 Bum crisis 2010 // Jan 20, 2010 at 11:20 am
More booze and drugs for Greenwood.
9 shopdog // Jan 21, 2010 at 5:58 pm
I purposely go to a Walgreens once a month, just to observe the non-existent customer service and the low caliber of the people that are hired to work there. I keep thinking it can’t get any worse, but they keep surprising me with each visit. Adding beer and wine sales to this mix? Good luck with the undercover monthly checks from the State Liquor Control Board, and to those of us in the neighborhood who will have to deal with more unsavory and criminal behavior.
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