From The Denver Post, By John Marinelli, October 20, 2019
Beer deregulation in grocery stores a challenge to smaller Boulder County retailers
On their first grocery-run of the new year, many Coloradans and Boulder County residents were delighted to find that after decades of only being able to sell low-alcohol beer, the markets they frequent had the same brews that just days prior had only been available in liquor stores.
But not everyone was happy to see the change — for many small business owners around the county and state, it meant the end of a semi-protected industry that helped local shops thrive.
The consequences are already being felt, too, according to Eric Berg, the owner of Fox Creek Liquors in Longmont.
“The effect on my business has been extremely negative,” he wrote in an email. “I have had to cut a full time employee as well as reduce hours for the employees I have.”
Berg said that before 2019, beer accounted for 35-40% of his store’s revenue.