I get it. I now understand why independent package store operators are so concerned about wine in groceries.
I didn’t until this weekend. We journeyed to Bloomington, Ind., to see a performance at the Indiana University Auditorium of Les Miserables.
Coincidentally, our visit coincided with the first appearance back on campus of Bobby Knight, who until he was fired as IU’s head basketball coach 20 years ago, had a 29-year career at Indiana during which he led his teams to three NCAA championships, one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and 11 Big Ten Conference championships.
While it certainly didn’t generate the buzz that Knight’s return did, we also visited a Kroger near the IU campus and were stunned by the size of its wine department. It was easily six to eight times as large as most retailers we had seen in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Maryland. And it didn’t just stock Barefoot. It has Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.I.V. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($169.99), King Brut Champagne ($209.99), Cockburn’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port ($89.99), Tito’s Vodka ($17.99) along with all the popular beer, wine and spirits.
If I was a retailer and saw that store, I’d be terrified. It’s huge. And it’s convenient. And clean and well-lit.
There’s a Big Red One Liquors within a block of the store. But if I lived in Bloomington, and shopped at Kroger, I don’t think I’d ever set foot in Big Red One. Kroger looks like it meets all of most customers’ needs.