Written by On April 11, 2018, legislation providing for wine and spirits to be sold on Sunday (“Sunday Sales”)(SB2518/HB1540) passed the Tennessee Senate, albeit narrowly. The bill is now on its way to Governor’s desk for review and signing. Once the bill becomes law, retail package stores will be able to begin immediately selling on Sundays, but you will have to wait until January to purchase your wine at your favorite grocery store. Sales will not be allowed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter.
Once the bill is signed and further guidance is provided to industry members from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission regarding effective date, etc., we will provide an update.
Under Tennessee law, there is a 10 percent minimum markup on wine and the Sunday Sales bill now provides a minimum 10 percent markup on spirits. Other interesting portions of the bill include the ability for retail package stores to sell to customers below the store’s cost if the store is going out of business. The retail store, however, is prohibited from selling the product to other retailers.
Below are two articles discussing the House of Representatives’ passage of the bill as well as the Senate’s passage.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions regarding how Sunday Sales may affect your business.
Last modified: April 12, 2018
