In an editorial today entitled "Wegman beer approval good move," the Erie Times-News, itself an examplar of non-competitive operations, signalled its contempt for a competitive retail environmnent.
Its editorial endorsement of beer sales exclusively at Wegman's ignores the lack of fairness in giving one retail or commercial entity a distinct advantage over others of its kind, namely the many other food markets throughout the Erie area. They will inevitably find some of their clientele shifting to the entity with the unfair competitive advantage.
It's naive to suppose that making beer sales available at a single outlet is a desireable first step in the direction of eventual commercialization of all alcoholic beverages at multiple venues, which seems to be the thrust of the Times-News editorial.
On the contrary, all it does is take some of the pressure off that goal, making it less accessible than ever.
While most of us realize that Wegman's is a choice source of newspaper advertising, Times-News editorialists should think these issues through more carefully before rushing into rash and irretrievable judgments.
In a one newspaper town, other food marketeers have no other effective advertising choices for their wares and can't realistically withhold their advertising from the Times-News in retribution.
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1 comment:
I disagree with you.
Wegman's has a restaurant in the store. They bought a Pennsylvania Restaurant Liquor License. This is the same license that companies from Applebee's to The Zone have.
You can hold a Pennsylvania Restaurant Liquor License and are allowed to sell other items.
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