Liquor Stores Worry Walmart Will Put Them Out Of Business
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Qwick Pick Liquor has been operating in Dallas for 20 years, but the owners are worried that competition from Walmart could put them out of business.
Amandine Hou says it is more than a liquor store. The business supports seven members of her family and has been
"We have, like, regulars. They walk in the door. We already know what they want. We have it sitting on the counter and that's why they come back. So they won't get that at Walmart," she said.
Walmart and Sams have filed a lawsuit against the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, claiming Texas law irrationally forbids any publicly traded corporation from owning or holding a permit to sell hard liquor.
In a statement to CBS 11 news, Walmart spokesperson Lorenzo Lopez said:
"Our Texas customers want added convenience when shopping for adult beverages. However, the current law prohibits publicly-owned businesses such as Walmart from offering spirits to its customers. This is counter to Texas' belief in free enterprise and fair competition, limits our customer's choice and keeps the price of sprits artificially high, all of which harm Texas consumers.
"Walmart believes the law needs to be changed to provide a fair and level playing field so we can offer our customers a full assortment of adult beverages as part of a convenient and comfortable shopping experience."
But Hou says her store is part of the American free enterprise system.
"If they would be allowed to sell liquor, it would totally ruin our business. We'll definitely have to find something else and that's not a good thing," she said. "A lot of our customers have moved to Plano, Mckinney, but they do come back. Why? The personal relationship that we have with them."
Walmart says it doesn't plan to sell hard liquor inside of its big stores, instead creating adjacent stores with separate entrances for liquor sales.
The Hou family say that will serve as hefty competition and worries them even more.
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