With the Holiday Seasons Approaching now is a good time to address the subject of alcoholic beverage combination packages (gift packs).  

 

Gift packages are packages that contain an alcoholic beverage product and a gift item such as glassware.  These packages may only be assembled at the supplier level, a properly licensed alcoholic beverage manufacturer, importer or wholesale distributor.  

Recently, there have been questions at all levels of the alcoholic beverage industry in Minnesota related to whether or not suppliers can charge a retailer more for a gift package then they would for the alcoholic beverage itself.  The answer is yes.  
 
The current policy of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Alcohol & Gambling Enforcement Division is to only allow/approve combination packages that market alcoholic beverage products with items that may legally be sold in exclusive off-sale liquor stores in Minnesota under the provisions of Minnesota Statute 340A.412 subdivision 14.  
 
In the past the policy of the former Liquor Control Division at one time was to allow any item to be packaged with an alcoholic beverage as long as there was no upcharge for the package to the retailer.  This policy had no basis in statute and was reversed when the agency merged with the Gambling Enforcement Division in the mid 1990's
 
So, an alcoholic beverage supplier may upcharge for a combination package containing items such as glassware due to the glassware may legally be sold in an exclusive liquor store under the provisions of the statute.  A wholesaler and in turn retailer may also charge more for the item should they so desire.
 
Gift packages may not contain for example, golf balls, clothing or food items due to for the most part these items may not be sold in exclusive off-sale liquor package stores in Minnesota under the provisions of Minnesota Statute 340A.412 subdivision 14.
 
If anyone has further questions they may contact our office.
 
Signed,
 
 
Michael T. McManus
Alcohol Enforcement Administrator
Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Alcohol & Gambling Enforcement Division
(651) 201-7502

 

A new publication, Strategizer 55-Regulating Alcohol Outlet Density: An Action Guide, outlines available evidence-based community prevention strategies shown to decrease the consequences associated with alcohol outlet density, the concentration of bars, restaurants serving alcohol, and liquor and package stores in a given geographic area.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Community Guide to Preventive Services has endorsed reducing alcohol outlet density as an effective strategy for reducing alcohol-related harms.

 

Developed by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) in partnership with the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the guide provides public health departments, community coalitions and other organizations with information and tools for community action designed to regulate and limit the number of places that serve and sell alcohol.

 

"Excessive alcohol use is a major public health concern and limiting the physical availability of alcohol is one of the most effective ways to reduce excessive drinking and its many health and social problems," said David Jernigan, PhD, the CAMY director and associate professor at the Bloomberg School's Department of Health, Behavior and Society. "This action guide shows how people can transform their community so that excessive drinking is the exception, not the rule."

 

"Communities with a large concentration of bars and liquor stores pose a risk to both young people and adults, increasing the likelihood for violence or alcohol-impaired driving. Fortunately, we know from research that by limiting the number of alcohol outlets and their proximity to each other we can reduce the many health and social consequences associated with excessive drinking. This new publication-and the corresponding training curricula we've built in partnership with CAMY-will give communities the tools they need to craft local strategies that reduce alcohol problems," said CADCA Chairman and CEO General Arthur T. Dean.

 

Click Here to View the Report

 

 

Beverage News Daily

 

Shoppers are drawn into stores and make important quality inferences on the basis of signs, a University of Cincinnati analysis of a market research survey of more than 100,000 North American households finds.

 

In fact, one of the surprising finds of the UC research performed in collaboration with BrandSpark/Better Homes and Gardens American Shopper Study is just how highly ranked signage is among forms of communication used to provide new product information.

 

When consumers were asked to rate the perceived usefulness of various media, only television was ranked more highly than signage as the most useful source of new product information.

 

According to UC researcher James J. Kellaris, "Although television was rated as the most useful source of new-product information, indoor signage (such as those at point-of sale, e.g., signage at the ends of store aisles or at check outs) tied with magazine ads as the second most useful source. And outdoor signage ranked third, followed by radio ads, Internet ads and finally, newspaper ads."

 

He added, "So, what we found was that signage, a basic form of technology and communication that evolved in antiquity still works even in today's Internet age."

 

Small Signs A Problem For Shoppers

 

The survey also explored an important visual acuity issue: driving by and failing to find a business because its signage was too small or unclear.

 

"This appears to be a major problem," said Kellaris. "Nearly 50 percent of American consumers report that this has happened to them."

 

Although the problem is universal across genders and regions, it varies across age groups.

 

Surprisingly, this is not a "senior citizen" phenomenon, as both younger and older age groups report more signage communication failure than the middle (35-49, 50-64) age groups.

 

"What we see is a U-shaped distribution with the younger shoppers being just as affected as boomers and seniors. Surprisingly, 64 percent of women aged 18 to 24 report having driven by and failed to find a business due to small, unclear signage." 

Click Here for More Information

 

 Click Here to View the New Wine 101 On-Line Training

Earlier in the week, an MMBA member asked:

 

Can you tell me if someone turns 21 can they come into the bar at midnight on their birthday and drink or do they have to wait until 8am or some other time?

 

According to

Minnesota Statute

340A. 503, Subd. 5a

 

 Attainment of age

 

With respect to

purchasing, possessing, consuming, selling, furnishing, and serving alcoholic beverages, a person is not 21 years of age until 8:00 a.m. on the day of that person's 21st birthday.

Two friends meet in a bar.  One orders a beer, the other orders a Coke.

"I gotta take it easy tonight," the soda drinker says.  "Last night I did some things I'm a little ashamed of."

"Well, why did you have to get drunk in the first place?" his friend asks.

"I didn't get drunk in the first place," he replies. "I got drunk in the fourth place."