Liquor Stores Research Articles

Analysis of Price Changes in Washington Following the 2012 Liquor Privatization

In June, 2012 the state of Washington ended a wholesale and retail monopoly on liquor sales resulting in about five times as many stores selling liquor. Three-tier restrictions were also removed on liquor, while beer and wine availability did not increase. Substantial taxes at both the wholesale and retail levels were implemented and it was expected that prices would rise. To evaluate price changes after privatization we developed an index of about 68 brands that were popular in Washington during early 2012. Data on final liquor prices (including all taxes) in Washington were obtained through store visits and on-line sources between November 2013 and March of 2014. Primary analyses were conducted on five or six brand indexes to allow the inclusion of most stores. Washington liquor prices rose by an average of 15.5% for the 750 ml size and by 4.7% for the 1.75 l size, while only small changes were seen in the bordering states of Oregon and Idaho. Prices were found to vary greatly by store type. Liquor Superstores had generally the lowest prices while drugstore, grocery and especially smaller Liquor Store prices were found to be substantially higher. Our findings indicate that liquor prices in Washington increased substantially after privatization and as compared to price changes in bordering states, with a much larger increase seen for the 750 ml size and with wide variation across store types. However, persistent drinkers looking for low prices will be able to find them in certain stores.

Determinants of SMEs growth and performance in Cameroon’s central and littoral provinces’ manufacturing and retail sectors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss growth and performance of small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Central and Littoral provinces of Cameroon’s manufacturing and retail sectors. Design/methodology/approach – A full survey of 700 randomly selected SMEs owner-managers was conducted though only 575 enterprises were retained for analysis after performing the coherence test. The survey was conducted in the central and littoral regions, the location of almost 70 per cent of the SMEs in Cameroon. The survey questionnaire administered consisted of about 50-60 questions covering the profile of the business owner, and business growth and performance. The full sample consists mainly of enterprises in the tertiary and secondary sectors. They were mostly retails and wholesales (supermarket, hardware shop, clothing shop, perfume shops and liquor store). Although, the secondary sector contributes 31 per cent of Cameroon's GDP and employs 15 per cent of the population, they are mostly large enterprises, with very few SMEs. Hence few businesses were interviewed in this sector. Findings – Business location affects turnover growth. The likelihood of negative growth or zero growth decreases with the age of enterprise. Increased levels of education result in improved turnover growth. There is no association of gender of with growth of business turnover. The burden imposed by municipal regulation and compliance with it negatively affects turnover growth. Time taken to be in compliance with tax regulations overall also negatively affects turnover growth. Social implications – Disseminating regulatory information to SMEs would be useful in order to improve compliance in general and newly formed enterprises located in the Littoral Province in particular. It is important to reduce regulatory burden on SMEs overall. Restrictive trade and business regulations in Africa tend to be largely devised through negotiated settlements with large corporates, and the onerous requirements tend to be inappropriate and out of reach for small, medium and micro firms. The business environment in the Littoral Province should be improved. Originality/value – Studies that examine econometric determinants of the growth of SMEs in Africa, and especially in Cameroon are few indeed. This is an area that is very crucial to examine and fully understand for policy development.

Research Article: Food Availability and the Food Desert Frame in Detroit: An Overview of the City's Food System

This article takes a new approach to studying food access. It combines environmental justice analysis with systems thinking in an examination of the food environment of Detroit. The article reviews food access literature and identifies how each body of scholarship’s underlying assumptions help or distort our understanding of urban food environments. The article argues for more comprehensive approaches to studying food access and demonstrates how such approaches can be implemented. We collected data from multiple sources, including ReferenceUSA, Orbis, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture, between 2011 and 2013 to build a database of food outlets in the city. We used SPSS 22 and ArcGIS 10.1 to analyze and map the data. The article analyzes the location of 3,499 food outlets in Detroit, comprising 34 categories food retailers, growers, supply chain, and food assistance programs. The study identified 96 supermarkets or full-line grocery stores; 1,110 small groceries, convenience stores, mini marts, and liquor stores; 279 specialty food stores; 306 pharmacies, dollar, and variety stores; 1,245 full-service and fast food restaurants and other food service outlets; 157 supply chain operations; 206 farms, community and school gardens, farmers’ markets, and produce markets; and 100 food assistance programs. The article finds that though Detroit has areas that lack food outlets, the portrayal of the entire city as a “food desert” is misleading. Moreover, the traditional approach of food desert research of using only or primarily the presence or absence of supermarkets and full-line grocery stores to study food access ignores many important venues from which people obtain food. It also ignores the strategies people use to cope with food insecurity and their responses to limited food access.Environmental Practice 17: 102–133 (2015)

The Influence of “Sin Tax” on the Economic Sustainability of Small, Medium and Micro Liquor Store Enterprises in the Northern Suburbs of the Cape Metropolis, South Africa

The Influence of “Sin Tax” on the Economic Sustainability of Small, Medium and Micro Liquor Store Enterprises in the Northern Suburbs of the Cape Metropolis, South Africa

High Rates of Fetal Alcohol Disorders Found in Urban Areas

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical and Research NewsFull AccessHigh Rates of Fetal Alcohol Disorders Found in Urban AreasNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:3 Apr 2015https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2015.3b6AbstractA study of patients in a Chicago clinic finds that nearly 40 percent of psychiatric patients present with a neurodevelopmental disorder due to prenatal alcohol exposure.While the cause of many mental disorders remains mysterious, there are etiologies that can be explained, which makes it even more frustrating when prevention or intervention efforts lag. Such is the case for developmental problems brought on when pregnant women drink alcohol.Roxana Gonzalez/ShutterstockFetal alcohol exposure is one of the leading causes of speech and language disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and learning disorders. Fetal alcohol-related developmental problems are entirely preventable, yet remain fairly common; a recent study of Midwestern first-graders published in Pediatrics estimated that between 2.4 percent and 4.8 percent of children have a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).In some communities, such as poor urban areas, however, where liquor stores are a ubiquitous presence, the prevalence might be even higher, though not much research has been done related to populations of these areas. A study published online last month in Psychiatric Services in Advance provides some context on how pervasive alcohol-related developmental problems are in one such urban community. Carl Bell, M.D., a clinical professor of psychiatry and public health at the University of Illinois School of Medicine, and coauthor Radhika Chimata assessed the records of 590 adult and 21 youth psychiatric patients—who were almost all African American—who attended the Family Medicine Clinic at Jackson Park Hospital on Chicago’s Southside. They found that 237 of the 611 patients, or nearly 40 percent, had clinical profiles consistent with a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with prenatal alcohol exposure, while only 53 patients, or 9 percent, presented with a “classical” DSM-5 neurodevelopmental disorder such as intellectual disability, ADHD, or autism; the authors disagreed on the specific type of neurodevelopmental disorder in seven additional patients. As anticipated, many of the patients with FASD had been previously misdiagnosed with one of these disorders or with an illness such as bipolar disorder. Even Bell, who is a staff psychiatrist at the Family Medicine Clinic, admits to missing some cases. “I did not have a clue how prevalent this neurodevelopmental problem was, and I was seeing these people clinically.”Regardless of the past, Bell believes this issue is of paramount importance moving forward. “This is the biggest public-health issue since polio,” he told Psychiatric News. In addition to causing developmental disabilities—which were for the first time acknowledged in the new DSM-5 as neurodevelopmental disorder associated with prenatal alcohol exposure (ND-PAE)—alcohol can induce other physical and neurological problems in fetuses, including heart murmurs, facial abnormalities, and reduced size and weight. This combination of disabilities makes children with FASD frequent targets of abuse (physical, verbal, and sexual), which in turn brings on more behavioral problems and an increased risk for substance abuse.And the problem is not going away. “We identified 237 cases of fetal alcohol disorder during our assessments, but more have come through the clinic doors since then,” Bell said. “The clinic now sees more than 400 people with this condition, and like a marching band going down a dead-end street, they just keep filling up the facility.”“This work illuminates the troubles facing an underserved population in Chicago, but it also provides just a snapshot of the ‘iceberg’ that we find in our society as a whole,” said Susan Rich, M.D., M.P.H., a psychiatrist who specializes in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and raising awareness about it. “Wherever we find social drinkers who on occasion binge alcohol, we will find ND-PAE.” As an example, Rich noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cited college-age youth as having the highest risk of ND-PAE because they are frequently sexually active while drinking at binge rates.To tackle this problem, Rich believes that focused, preconception, prevention strategies are needed to help curb the high unplanned pregnancy rate in the U.S. She pointed out that most of the mothers interviewed in Bell’s study stopped drinking once they knew they were pregnant, so even in places with high rates of alcohol use, like disadvantaged urban areas, mothers try to protect their babies’ health once they are aware of their pregnancy.But drinking even during those first few weeks of pregnancy can lead to a lifetime of disability for the unborn child, she noted. ■An abstract of “Prevalence of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Low-Income African-Americans at a Family Medicine Clinic on Chicago’s Southside” can be accessed here. An abstract of “Prevalence and Characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders” is available here. ISSUES NewArchived

Using a Syndromic Surveillance System to Evaluate the Impact of a Change in Alcohol Law

In 2011, Washington State voters passed an initiative which closed state liquor stores and opened private sector liquor sales. We examined trends in alcohol-related emergency department (ED) visits associated with this law change. Data were from the King County syndromic surveillance system. Alcohol-related ED visits were identified using chief complaint search strings and diagnosis codes. We used a linear regression model with a spline at the date of law change and controlled for other factors. Significant increases in alcohol-related ED visits were observed associated with the law change among minors (age <21) and adults ages 40 and older.

Alcohol Sales to Underage Buyers in the Netherlands in 2011 and 2013

PurposeMeasuring vendors' compliance and possible change in compliance with the legal age limits on alcohol sales in 2011 and 2013. MethodsIn 2011 and 2013, representative mystery shopping studies were conducted. In total, 2,737 underage mystery shopping alcohol purchase attempts were conducted both in off-premise (supermarkets, liquor stores, and take away restaurants) and on-premise (bars and sports bars) outlets as well as from alcohol home delivery services. ResultsAverage compliance increased significantly from 28.2% in 2011 to 46.5% in 2013, and asking proof of age (ID) also increased significantly from 43.9% in 2011 to 54.1% in 2013. ConclusionsBoth asking proof of age and, ultimately, compliance with the legal age limits increased significantly. Nevertheless, still 53.5% of the adolescents could purchase alcohol themselves, which makes alcohol largely available through the various premises.

Littering in context(s): Using a quasi-natural experiment to explore geographic influences on antisocial behavior

Social science literature suggests that neighborhood-based visual cues have substantive effects on individuals' littering behaviors. Experimental research on this topic typically alters the appearance of a selected public location, and then monitors changes in littering due to these tightly controlled esthetic changes. The general finding is that littering occurs more frequently in relatively disorderly settings. The current paper extends this work by testing whether or not the same finding holds in more “real life” situations, wherein the operative visual cues come directly from the environment rather than through experimental manipulation. Specifically, the paper empirically identifies two study sites that serve similar functions in their urban system, but that differ markedly in contextual features. At the first site (#1), visual cues include liquor stores, vacant structures, and a noisy interstate highway. Notable visual cues at site #2 are scenic vistas, well-maintained housing, and greenspaces. When the same quasi-natural littering experiment was conducted at both locations, the littering rate was significantly higher at site #1 compared to site #2 (after controlling for individual-level demographic attributes). This result adds value to the applied geography community, as it confirms that spatially-based attributes do influence individual behaviors in a manner consistent with controlled, comparatively acontextual experimental findings. Additionally, the results implicate policy strategies that might be useful for counteracting antisocial urban behavior.

Favorite Bedtime Stories by John M. Fitzgerald

74 WLT JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2015 Given the difficulty of dealing with this deceptively simple poetry, the translators may be excused for stressing Blandiana’s obviouslydistinguishedcareerasadissident. Another problem, not only in discussing Blandiana but all writers who have survived Communist and other types of oppression, is discovering what to say about their work when a particular form of oppression has ended. This may sound like a variation on “What have you done for us lately?” In fact, what Blandiana and many others have done is to move beyond old themes into new country, however much that might confuse readers of their older work. Robert Murray Davis University of Oklahoma John M. Fitzgerald. Favorite Bedtime Stories. Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, Ireland. Salmon Poetry (Dufour, distr.). 2014. isbn 9781908836700 Occasionally brilliant lines and humorous passages are frequently mixed with truly perplexing, illegible passages in this new book by John Fitzgerald. We encounter playful lines such as (in speaking of tooth fairies) “They fashion piano keys from our teeth / to produce that twinkling sound in flight” and (more menacingly) “Hell is awake when the liquor store’s closed / and the spirits are all drunk.” We even get a kind of compressed philosophy of the relationship of language to the experience it tries to name in the line “He stresses each embalming syllable.” Then Fitzgerald loses the reader with passages that amount to inscrutability or even non-sense. This is intentional and even professed in the poetry itself (e.g., “Confused on the surface , the depths concur. / Between boggling , irrelevant arguments, slip in reason” and “Truth needn’t even go in one ear. / In fact, there’s something wrong with you for listening. / If God can make the stupid smart / keep praying”). A disrespect for the reader, even contempt , is not uncommon in certain aesthetic precincts of contemporary poetry. This reviewer suspects a mixture of the unfortunate influence of language theory, which challenges the possibility of communication , a degree of solipsism reinforced by certain realities of poetry’s place in American culture, and an overemphasis on “self.” The fact is that the long poem in this book, “The Charter of Effects,” comprised of fifteen sections and supposedly the centerpiece of the collection, induces more headache than marvel. Occasional poetic moments are surrounded by deliberate obfuscation and coy, facile writing. “Muses in mind, Counsel cares, in abeyance, / until later when memory no longer relates. / Entire illusions of innerness pray if only rain were beer. / Should instead he hear her coming she is lovely, but he doesn’t.” Evasion, indirection, compression, and even non-sense in poetry may have their place, but when Schoenberg “liberated the dissonance,” even he knew the importance of some necessary counterbalance—disharmony only exists in relationship to harmony . There are, however, poems in this book that seem written under a different aesthetic, resulting in persuasive imagery mixed with characteristic wit and humor. Take, for example, “Leopard,” which playfully explores the brain-versus-brawn debate in the guise of a leopard vaunting his powers over the monkeys, ending with “Brain, meet mister tooth.” In so doing, Fitzgerald enters into the ancient debate begun with the competing Greek traditions embodied in Achilles (The Iliad) and Odysseus (The Odyssey). He even steps into the prophetic Bard mode with his poem “The Becoming,” in which he announces “A flower heretofore latent in humans is about to burst,” though he is so annoyingly close to pop philosopher Eckhart Tolle as to be rendering his notions in verse. Reading this book is like watching a film that flickers in and out of focus; however , we may still want to watch Fitzgerald, because if he ever gives up this notion about non-sense, his work promises to be delightful. Fred Dings University of South Carolina world literature in review ...

The role of tasting in the purchasing process

In the Netherlands, it is forbidden by law to taste and sell wine in the same room, even if the buyer only places an order for delivery and no actual exchange of money and wine takes place, with the exception of licensed liquor stores. Wine traders, tastings and events are disadvantaged by this law. Wine tastings where consumers can buy or order wine are officially forbidden, even in a licensed liquor shop. The law makes no distinction between the act of “tasting” and the act of “drinking” wine. This raises the question whether tasting equals drinking or not, and what the role of tasting entails in the process of purchasing and consuming wine.This seems even more relevant considering the current trend that consumers not only want to buy a product, but have a complete “experience”. They want to feel the product, and in the case of wine they want to smell and taste it. In addition, wine lovers do not just want to purchase a wine of good quality, but they also want to tell the story of the wine and interpret the flavour. And what better way of doing that than to let the consumer taste the wine with guidance of the seller, who knows the wine and its flavour and story?Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of tasting in the process of purchasing and consuming wine. The study seeks to establish whether tasting should be considered part of the purchase process or whether it is part of the consump- tion. Furthermore, it is exploring the role tasting has in the process of purchasing and consuming wine and the possible risks and benefits of tasting for the seller. The conclusions can be used to advise the Dutch government concerning their policy regarding alcoholic beverages.Approach – This paper is an exploratory study. The data are collected through literature review in the fields of wine research and marketing and consumer behaviour. It combines relevant theories in the aforementioned fields to define and re-evaluate available data and common assumptions in order to generate new insights.Findings – Wine tasting can be defined as “the looking at, smelling, and tasting of wine, in order to assess the quality of the wine”, and is part of the purchase process. Tasting is a key aspect of the purchasing decision for a majority of wine buyers. The role of tasting in this process is mostly risk-reducing due to the information and reassurance the tasting provides. Possible ben- efits for sellers such as retailers and restaurant owners are that consumers perceive less risk and therefore are more likely to spend more money. Other benefits include that consumers are more likely to select a wine that they are unfamiliar with, and that they are more receptive to the advice of the seller.Research implications – The findings of this research suggest that wine tasting may have a more important role in the purchase process than many may realize. The understanding of these findings could ultimately lead to more sampling in the wine shop, and it could become as important to the consumer as it is for shoppers to try on new clothes before buying them. Although findings are tentative due to the exploratory nature of this study, they may provide useful insights to the Dutch government, and the wine and restaurant industry, who would benefit from further (field) research.Value – This study is of value to the Dutch government and the wine lobby, because it demonstrates the difference between wine tasting and drinking. It also has value for restaurant owners, the wine industry, and the academic world, because it highlights an important aspect of consumer behaviour with regard to wine purchases.

Relationships Between Minimum Alcohol Pricing and Crime During the Partial Privatization of a Canadian Government Alcohol Monopoly.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the independent effects of increases in minimum alcohol prices and densities of private liquor stores on crime outcomes in British Columbia, Canada, during a partial privatization of off-premise liquor sales. A time-series cross-sectional panel study was conducted using mixed model regression analysis to explore associations between minimum alcohol prices, densities of liquor outlets, and crime outcomes across 89 local health areas of British Columbia between 2002 and 2010. Archival data on minimum alcohol prices, per capita alcohol outlet densities, and ecological demographic characteristics were related to measures of crimes against persons, alcohol-related traffic violations, and non-alcohol-related traffic violations. Analyses were adjusted for temporal and regional autocorrelation. A 10% increase in provincial minimum alcohol prices was associated with an 18.81% (95% CI: ±17.99%, p < .05) reduction in alcohol-related traffic violations, a 9.17% (95% CI: ±5.95%, p < .01) reduction in crimes against persons, and a 9.39% (95% CI: ±3.80%, p < .001) reduction in total rates of crime outcomes examined. There was no significant association between minimum alcohol prices and non-alcohol-related traffic violations (p > .05). Densities of private liquor stores were not significantly associated with alcohol-involved traffic violations or crimes against persons, though they were with non-alcohol-related traffic violations. Reductions in crime events associated with minimum-alcohol-price changes were more substantial and specific to alcohol-related events than the countervailing increases in densities of private liquor stores. The findings lend further support to the application of minimum alcohol prices for public health and safety objectives.

Identificación y discriminación de Tequilas reposados in situ para la protección de marca

A través de una técnica óptica de espectroscopia basada en la absorción de luz en el rango UV visible y un análisis estadístico multivariable es posible identificar marcas de tequila para la protección de marca in situ. Se adquirieron 40 muestras de tequilas tipo reposado de 4 marcas registradas en tiendas de licores y en algunos bares en las ciudades de León Gto. y de Zacatecas, Zac. con el propósito de encontrar similitudes y diferencias que permitan una agrupación y una posible predicción de marcas para futuras muestras. Se describe el método para la discriminación de estas bebidas alcohólicas el cual es complementario a los métodos actuales basados en análisis químicos que son mayor coste y complejidad. Los resultados muestran una buena agrupación de las marcas analizadas por lo que una nueva muestra pudiera clasificarse si pertenece o no a alguna de las marcas estudiadas. El análisis de muestras se realiza en tiempos de minutos y pueden realizarse in situ.

Ciclovía participation and impacts in San Diego, CA: The first CicloSDias

ObjectiveCiclovía or Open Streets initiatives support physical activity through cycling/rolling, and walking/running. We evaluated San Diego's first Open Streets event, CicloSDias, to document attendance, reach and marketing, and effects on social cohesion, businesses, and physical activity. MethodsThe comprehensive evaluation consisted of a city-wide survey 1week before and after the event (n=805), counts of event attendees, and surveys of event attendees (n=713) and businesses (n=26). ResultsAn estimated 8311 people attended the event. Attendees had an average of 144min (SD=85) of physical activity, 97% met the 30min/day guideline, and 39% met the 150min/week guideline during the event. 27% of attendees would have been inactive without the event. Awareness of the event was 10% before and 26% after the event. When comparing event attendees to San Diego residents, Latinos and non-White race/ethnicities were under-represented. Restaurants/pubs, services, and most retail stores excluding liquor stores and food markets reported positive or neutral impacts on business. ConclusionOpen Street initiatives are promising ways to promote physical activity and are desired by the community. Positive effects were observed for physical activity, social cohesion, and businesses, though reach should be expanded to include more underserved community members. Evaluating Open Streets is important for sustaining and improving these efforts.

Danger Zone: The Causal Effects of High-Density and Mixed-Use Development on Neighborhood Crime

Since the seminal work of Jane Jacobs, it has become conventional wisdom among scholars and professional planners that high residential density and mixed commercial and residential land use reduce street crime. This notion has been influential in guiding planning decisions, but empirical evidence is limited. This paper examines the impact of mixed land use and residential density on crime using a unique high-resolution dataset from Chicago over the period 2008-2013. I employ a novel instrumental variable strategy based on the city's 1923 zoning code. I find that commercial uses, especially liquor stores and late-hour bars, lead to more street crime in their immediate vicinity, with relatively weak spillover effects. Higher residential density leads to lower per capita crime rates and ameliorates the criminogenic externalities of commercial activity. I discuss the implications for zoning policy and policing strategy.

Doing Good in the Family Business: A Conversation with Perry and Wynn Worthen of Granary Street Health Food Stores

Executive SummaryPerry Worthen opened a health food store, which he named Granary Street, in 1991 in the small east Texas town of Gladewater. Worthen used $11,000 that he had saved to start the business. In order to finance the new business and avoid borrowing money, Worthen followed a strenuous regimen of work as a brick layer in the morning hours and store owner/manager in the afternoon and evening. In the early 1990s, the health food store industry consisted of small 'Mom and Pop' retailers, which often charged high prices for their goods, before the advent of national or regional chains, such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.The Granary sells health food products and dietary supplements. Through hard work and frugal stewardship, Worthen's business began to grow and he was able to move the operation to the larger east Texas towns of Longview in 1993 and then Tyler in 1996. Excellent customer service and low competitive prices were the hallmarks of The Granary's success. Worthen also believed that word-of-mouth advertising served his company best and refrained from expensive advertising programs and relied on a satisfied repeat customer base.Family has been a major part of the business. Worthen's wife, Nancy, helped staff the store in the early days. As the business prospered Worthen formed separate partnerships with his brothers in Dallas and in Texarkana. Now, two of Perry's sons, Mark and Wynn have joined the business. During high school and college, both sons worked in the business after school and on weekends and now they serve as managers. The family shares strong ethical and religious values that form the basis for Granary Street and resonate with customers who feel that they can trust the owners of the firm.In the following interview, Perry and Wynn Worthen describe their family business and what it means to them.Author: Please, tell me a little bit about yourself and how you started The Granary.Perry Worthen: I was taking a class in retail in the late 1980s going back to get my MBA (at UT Tyler). I thought that I would do well in retail because I was good with numbers and I liked people and that is what it takes to be successful in retail. I opened a store in 1991 in Gladewater - 700 square feet, right on Highway 80 in a town of 5000 people. It took me two years. Our main product was organic produce. People came from Longview, which is 10 miles away and a much bigger town. In two years we moved to Longview and then in 1996 we added a store in Tyler. It took me five years before I took any money out of the business.Author: From previous conversations I recall that when you started the store you were still doing brick-laying, right?Perry Worthen: I continued to lay bricks for five years until I totally gave it up. I kept re-investing. My father and I were in business and we had flexible hours. I would start working at 6:00 AM and get off at 11:00 AM. I would open the store at 12:00 noon to 7:00 PM every day. When I couldn't work my wife or mom would come in. We lived 8 miles away from the store.Author: So, you did a lot of boot-strapping at the beginning?Perry Worthen: It was all boot-strapping. I did not borrow any money. $11,000 was my initial investment. I built the shelves out of plywood myself. I bought two old refrigerators from a liquor store that was going out of business. They were 30 years old, but they worked. That is where we kept the produce.Author: Where did you get the idea for organic produce?Perry Worthen: My wife and I were part of a food coop. We bought grain and a lot of natural things in bulk. It was a coop in Fayetteville, Arkansas and they delivered all across East Texas, LA, and Arkansas once per month. At that time it was very unusual to be able to buy whole grain, organic products. In order to start the business, I went to Whole Foods, which was one store in Austin, Texas a really old store at the beginning. There were a lot of Mom and Pop health food stores. …

Compliance With Legal Age Restrictions on Adolescent Alcohol Sales for Alcohol Home Delivery Services (AHDS)

Purpose: Alcohol availability is an important predictor of alcohol use in adolescents and its negative consequences. Within this study, we zoomed in on availability through alcohol home delivery services (AHDS) by measuring compliance with the legal age limit in this sector. Methods: Two methods were used: (1) mystery shopping in which 21 underage AHDS beer orders were placed and received and (2) mystery calls in which 30 AHDS were called and questioned. Results: In the mystery shopping study, all 21 deliveries were approved and executed by the AHDS (compliance 0%). Within the mystery calls, 23 AHDS said they would not sell alcohol to 15-year-olds (76.7% self-reported compliance), but 19 of them approved secondary purchasing. In total, self-reported compliance was only found in 4 out of the 30 AHDS (13.3%). Conclusions: In addition to supermarkets, liquor stores, and the catering industry, AHDS should not be overlooked. Low (or no) compliance with age limits in AHDS is a weak link in the system of underage alcohol availability.

How much did you actually drink last night? An evaluation of standard drink labels as an aid to monitoring personal consumption

Background: Barriers exist for drinkers who wish to comply with low-risk guidelines when these are expressed in terms of numbers of “standard drinks” of alcohol. The increasing variability of container sizes and alcoholic strengths mean that percent alcohol by volume (%ABV) labels alone may be insufficient. Aims: To investigate whether standard drink (SD) labels would improve drinkers’ accuracy when estimating personal alcohol consumption. Setting: Private liquor stores near the University of Victoria, BC. Design: A 2 × 3 × 3 experimental design was employed with two labels (%ABV and SD), three beverages (beer, wine, and spirits) and three beverage strengths in balanced order. Subjects estimated the number of standard drinks that would be consumed in scenarios involving containers of their preferred beverages presented with different labels. Participants: A convenience sample of 301 liquor store patrons, aged 19 years and over. Measurements: Participants’ accuracy was determined by the relative and absolute percent errors in their estimations in comparison with correct answers. Results: Estimates were significantly more accurate with SD than %ABV labels in almost all the scenarios. Significantly more underestimation errors were made with %ABV labels. Mixed model regression analysis indicated younger respondents, beer drinkers and those with higher education made significantly fewer errors. Most (82.7%) supported SD labelling and believed SD labels would help them to comply with low-risk drinking guidelines (68.3%). Conclusions: The addition of clear SD labels helps consumers to make more accurate estimates of the SD content of their usual beverages than %ABV labels alone and would be more likely to help them comply with drinking guidelines.

Remote age verification to prevent underage alcohol sales. First results from Dutch liquor stores and the economic viability of national adoption

ObjectivesAlcohol consumption among minors is a popular topic in the public health debate, also in the Netherlands. Compliance with the legal age limits for selling alcohol proves to be rather low. Some Dutch liquor stores (outlets with an exclusive license to sell off-premise drinks with 15% alcohol or more) have recently adopted a remote age verification system. This paper discusses the first results of the use of the system. MethodsWe use data from 67 liquor stores that adopted Ageviewers, a remote age verification system, in 2011. A remote validator judges the customer's age using camera footage and asks for an ID if there is any doubt. The system then sends a signal to the cash register, which approves or rejects the alcohol purchase. ResultsFrom the 367346 purchase attempts in the database, 8374 were rejected or aborted for age-related reasons. This figure amounts to an average ratio of 1.12 underage alcohol purchase attempts per sales day in each participating liquor store. Scaling up to a national level, the figures suggest at least 1 million underage alcohol purchase attempts per year in Dutch liquor stores. DiscussionUnderage alcohol purchases can be prevented by the nationwide adoption of remote age verification. However, given the lax enforcement of the age limits by the government, adopting such a system on a voluntary basis is generally not in the economic interest of the liquor stores. Obligatory installation of the system in off-premise alcohol outlets may pass a social cost–benefit test if certain conditions are fulfilled.

The relationship between the density of alcohol outlets and parental supply of alcohol to adolescents

This study investigated whether the number of alcohol outlets per 10,000 population in a given area (density) influenced parental supply of alcohol to adolescents; differences in Australian born and acculturating parents were also examined. A state-representative student survey in Victoria identified that the majority of adolescents (55%) reported that they had used alcohol in the past 12months; 34 % of those who had consumed alcohol reported that it had been supplied by their parents. Multilevel modelling identified that there were no overall effects of density, however there were different effects based on parent country of birth and type of license. Specifically, each unit increase in the density of takeaway liquor stores increased the likelihood by 2.03 that children with both Australian-born parents would be supplied alcohol. Adolescents with both migrant parents on the other hand, had a 1.36 increased risk of being supplied alcohol as the density of outlets requiring at-venue consumption increased. The findings of this study suggest that in Australia, alcohol outlet density is associated with parental supply of alcohol to children, with this effect moderated by the cultural background of the parent and type of outlet density. Future research should investigate the association between the density of alcohol outlets and public approval of parents supplying alcohol to adolescents.

The influence of price-related point-of-sale promotions on bottle shop purchases of young adults.

To investigate the impact of point-of-sale promotions on product choice, brand choice and purchase quantity of young adults purchasing alcohol for off-premise consumption in Australia. A cross-sectional interviewer-completed survey conducted at 24 bottle shops (liquor stores), 12 each in the capital cities of Sydney, New South Wales and Perth, Western Australia. Participants were 509 adults (18 and over) exiting bottle shops having purchased alcohol. When prompted, 26.5% indicated that there was a special offer, price discount, or special promotion connected with a product that they had purchased. Those who participated in point-of-sale promotions purchased a greater quantity of alcohol than those who did not participate: ready to drink, an average of 11.5 standard drinks (SD) compared with an average of 8.9 SD (t = 1.320, P = 0.190); beer, an average of 26.8 SD compared with an average of 16.4 SD; wine, an average of 16.1 SD compared with an average of 13.8 SD (t = 0.924, P = 0.357). Participation in point-of-sale promotions may be associated with increased purchase quantities, not solely shifting between brands. There is a need for further research to explore changes in purchase and consumption patterns as a result of the availability of price-based promotions. The results of this study, combined with previous research, suggest that regulators-and marketers-should consider the immediate and cumulative effect of point-of-sale promotions on drinking patterns, particularly those of younger drinkers.