Five Tucson-area Fry’s Food stores are adding sampling privileges to their liquor licenses, joining a growing number of supermarkets that invite shoppers to sip some wine.
Fry’s is going through the local and state approval processes for about a quarter of its local stores. The stores are in Oro Valley, Marana, Sahuarita and Rita Ranch.
Sampling privileges allow a store to use its own inventory to have free, in-store tasting in a special area, said Lee Hill, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control.
State regulations limit samples to 3 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of wine per person, per brand, per day.
While wine sampling used to be the territory of specialty grocers such as AJ’s, Trader Joe’s or Cost Plus World Market, the trend is going mainstream.
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There’s growing customer demand for sampling, but it’s only going to come to certain stores where wine sales have proven strong, predicts Tim McCabe, president of the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance, an industry association for grocers and retailers.
Wine-sampling is the latest push from grocers to become one-stop shops, McCabe said, adding that many supermarkets already offer a coffee bar, television lounge, deli or restaurant, or a fuel center. A wine bar or beer garden with hors d’oeuvres could be next.
Stores also want to compete with BevMo and Total Wine & More, McCabe said.
Each of those liquor superstores has two Tucson stores offering samples.
Other stores in the Tucson area with liquor licenses that allow sampling include one Albertsons, two Bashas’, two CVS, one Sam’s Club, five Sprouts and two Whole Foods stores.
Contact reporter Becky Pallack at bpallack@azstarnet.com or 573-4251. On Twitter: @BeckyPallack
Becky Pallack
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