Wawa has reopened a store near the Delaware line that will sell beer.
A grand opening of the store was held on Thursday, Chadds Ford Live reported. The store represents a test for the large convenience store operator on whether it can profit from Pennsylvania’s looser liquor laws that now allow beer and wine to be sold from grocery and convenience stores.
The changes were have been sought by grocery stores and Sheetz, a large convenience store operator outside the Delaware Valley in Pennsylvania.
The size of the store allowed Wawa to put in a separate beer department and meet the state’s requirement that stores selling the beverages must have seating for 30 people. That means you can sit down and have a beer and one of the store’s hoagies.
Grocery stores in Route 202 area near the Delaware line, have also added wine and beer departments.
The location near the Delaware line could also attract customers from the First State, thanks to a convenient system and the state’s system, which confines sales to liquor stores. The Keystone State further loosened up the system by allowing beer distributors to sell six packs.
That’s a dramatic change from the previous requirement that beer be sold by the case.
Afer more expensive craft beer became popular, the minimum size was lowered to a twelve pack and more recently a six pack.
In the past, many Pennsylvanians near the Delaware border would make runs to the First State, due to Delaware’s lower liquor taxes and the ability to buy a six pack.
Delaware has made no move toward selling beer and wine in supermarkets, but faces a structural budget deficit that might lead to the issue being revisited in future years.
