THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 30, 1995 TAG: 9511300388
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEPHANIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
How about a bottle of Jack Daniels with your bananas, bread and milk?
The state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control likes the idea and plans to test it next month by opening a liquor store inside a Farm Fresh supermarket in Norfolk's Wards Corner.
If the concept is a success, it will be used at other supermarkets and possibly discount-grocery stores like SuperKmart and Wal-Mart Supercenter, ABC officials said Wednesday.
``We're talking to a number of grocery stores across the commonwealth of Virginia,'' ABC chairwoman Catherine H. Giordano said. ``We're pursuing quite actively.''
The ABC-supermarket venture would represent a different way of doing business. But it wouldn't be a departure from Virginia's long tradition of controlling alcohol sales. In fact, the state agency will run the entire show at its store in Farm Fresh, using its own employees, cash registers and stock space.
The traditional ABC store is a stand-alone retail outlet. But with banks, pharmacies and others setting up shop in supermarkets, Giordano saw no reason why liquor stores couldn't fit inside, too. Customers, in turn, could benefit from the convenience of one-stop shopping, she said.
``Say you're having a dinner party with 12 people coming over,'' Giordano said. ``Wouldn't it be nice to buy everything in one place?''
After negotiating with officials at Norfolk-based Farm Fresh Inc., the ABC made plans to close its Wards Corner store on Dec. 16 and then truck its bottles to the nearby supermarket off East Little Creek Road.
Beginning Dec. 18, shoppers will be able to enter the ABC store from inside Farm Fresh. At 2,010 square feet, the liquor store will be a little larger than the typical ABC outlet. It will carry the same number of products, everything from Virginia wines to Wild Turkey 101-proof bourbon.
But because the two stores will operate separately, consumers will have to open their wallets twice if they want to shop for both groceries and liquor. Farm Fresh will continue selling wine and beer on its shelves.
The hours probably will be different, too. ABC stores are open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (or 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in some locations) except Sunday, when they are closed. The Norfolk Farm Fresh is open 24 hours a day. ABC authorities said they were still discussing the liquor store's hours.
Agency officials will be closely watching the public's reaction, spokesman Robert Chapman said.
``We really don't know at this point,'' Chapman said. ``Since this is the first time the ABC has done this, we'll probably be learning a lot.''
But at the grocery store, most people interviewed seemed ambivalent at the prospect of having hard liquor inside the supermarket.
``Oh, I don't know,'' said one woman rushing inside the store.
``I don't care,'' said another woman as she pushed a cart through the parking lot.
Alethia Washington of Norfolk, who doesn't drink, said she thought the ABC-Farm Fresh marriage was ``all right, I guess, if you drink alcohol.''
``There's the convenience for customers,'' Washington said. ``You could buy everything at one place.''
Michael E. Julian, chairman and chief executive officer of Farm Fresh, said he expected most customers to accept the addition.
``I suspect we'll get some feedback from people,'' he said. ``But I don't think it's going to be an issue one way or another. I think it's a convenience for customers who shop at Farm Fresh. And that's good, in my mind.''
For the ABC, the move into supermarkets could help its image. Some of the agency's store locations aren't exactly comforting to customers. By pairing with Farm Fresh, the ABC anticipates its customers will feel safer purchasing liquor.
Farm Fresh has long welcomed new companies and services into its supermarkets. Its grocery stores often include bank branches, automated teller machines, florists, video stores and pharmacies.
The company recently added small Drug Emporium pharmacies to two Richmond-area supermarkets. by CNB