Costco Battles For Cheaper Booze In Wash. State
on 20/10/10 at 11:10 am
Booze NewsA Washington state ballot measure that would change how alcoholic beverages are sold has produced some strange bedfellows.
Firefighters and church groups have teamed up with beer distributors to fight a proposal that would do away with state-run liquor stores and eliminate price controls in the sale of wine and beer.
If you want to buy hard liquor you have to go to one of 315 state-sanctioned liquor outlets where the hours are relatively limited and the prices are high. A standard handle of Smirnoff vodka costs $30.
That same bottle costs just $16 at Costco stores in California, and the giant retailer wants to offer similar prices in Washington state. So, Costco has put a lot of money and muscle into getting Initiative 1100 on the November ballot and getting it passed.