Steven Harrison’s Post

Important read. Who is with Steven?

Three Channels > Three Tier. The best thing the wine industry can do right now to counter a declining market is to modernize the laws that define it. #directsales

In New Zealand, the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 outlines the rules for selling alcohol in supermarkets. Under these rules, supermarkets are restricted to selling certain categories of alcoholic beverages. Mark Gavin and Nicholas Allen look at the challenges and implications these legal requirements present for beverage makers and the supermarkets selling them. https://lnkd.in/gba_mzyb

Commenting on recent reports from the BBC about counterfeit vodka containing harmful isopropyl alcohol, Marcus Jones, MD of Capcon, highlights the critical need for due diligence in the hospitality sector’s procurement processes: “It is crucial for operators to always ensure they use reputable suppliers, vetting them carefully and maintaining a clear understanding of their purchase chains. Ad-hoc purchases, particularly of high-risk items like spirits, should be sourced from mainstream supermarkets or established wholesalers where the tracking from manufacture to point of sale is robust. This is vital because the consequences of negligence can be severe, impacting not only the health of consumers but also the credibility of the business. Additionally, maintaining comprehensive, accurate procurement records helps not only in ensuring compliance with safety and regulatory standards but also in safeguarding against potential legal repercussions.”   For operators uncertain about the credibility of their suppliers, or those needing comprehensive due diligence to protect your business, Capcon offers expert services to evaluate supplier reliability. Additionally, our advanced inventory management solutions play a crucial role by ensuring stock levels are maintained appropriately, reducing the necessity to source last-minute supplies from less reputable or unvetted retailers. Contact us for advice and assistance for your hospitality business: T: +44 (0)1372 237 050 E: [email protected]   https://lnkd.in/eUmKfRJC #hospitalitysector #duediligence #suppliervetting #pointofsale #procurement #stocklevels #inventorymanagement #stockcontrols

In light of the recent recent reports from the BBC about counterfeit vodka containing harmful isopropyl alcohol, it highlights the crucial need for due diligence in the hospitality sector’s procurement processes. #hospitalitysector #duediligence #suppliervetting #pointofsale #procurement #stocklevels #inventorymanagement #stockcontrols

In light of the recent recent reports from the BBC about counterfeit vodka containing harmful isopropyl alcohol, it highlights the crucial need for due diligence in the hospitality sector’s procurement processes. #hospitalitysector #duediligence #suppliervetting #pointofsale #procurement #stocklevels #inventorymanagement #stockcontrols

The regular attempt by alcohol regulators and their collaborators in the wholesale tier to constantly try to whip up hysteria over "illegal shipments" of wine is truly unseemly. Those criminals in Texas who arrange to have a bottle of Cabernet shipped to them from outside the state is going to cause all kinds of carnage, they tell us. But the alarmists at the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission and it other states never ask one simple question: WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE BUYING WINE FROM OUT-OF-STATE SOURCES AND NOT IN THEIR HOME STATE RETAILERS' STORES? Could it be something about how their regulatory systems absolutely fail consumers? This is the question we delve into in today's installment of the Fermentation Substack Newsletter.

Yes, SHOCKINGLY true statements regarding the difficulty of free commerce in what is supposedly the freest nation in the world. The joke (that should be taken with deadly seriousness) is that it is easier for a criminal to move an illegal firearm across state lines than a free American to ship a gift bottle of legal wine to thier homes, neighbors and friends. So, what exactly is supporting this colossal barrier for 90% of wine producers who can’t afford to get into the out of state wholesale wine trade? If there was one specific point or cornerstone to the oppression of free trade in wine, what is it and why are the 90% of grape growers and wine producers in the U.S. tolerating it? If 90% of a people are demanding something, especially as right and good as opening state borders for the ‘citizens’ rights to free and open state commerce’, then where is the problem? A democracy? Well, sort of…..the correct technical term is a ‘democratic republic’….but in this case, simple democracy seems like it should reign in this arena and work just fine…but it doesn’t. What do the people want? No one is coercing the “people” to be force fed wine across state lines. No one is mind bending the consumer into an addiction of over consumption of alcohol where they are robots to be guided exactly where a select few want commerce to happen….are they? I am a little producer. I represent little producers. I’m for free and fair trade….that really does mean “free and fair” (fair meaning balanced and equal and reciprocal). I am against unjust trade policies that exacerbate job killing, people controlling, consumer suppressing antiquated policies of 3 tier based policy from prohibition era control of alcohol trade….which was one of the greatest atrocities of the American ‘experiment’ (not equal to the travesty of human slave and trafficking trades….but as sinister and oppressive and dysfunctional). This is where each of us in the wine trade need to determine whether or not these principles are really important to us. Voting for a president or local congressperson isn’t going to move this bar. The people….the vintners and growers and brewers and distillers and cider makers of America need to once and for all determine if they want free state trade and go after it as though it really matters. The next and most critical question is how will we unite on what we already all agree on? #strategicplan #winecommerce #freetrade #3tier #wineandspirits Wine Institute California Association of Winegrape Growers Allied Grape Growers American Association of Wine Economists AAWE Kristen Newsom James Watt

This WSWA article was in response to the below white paper from the National Assoc Of Wine Retailers. It is well known that the WSWA is a front & funded by the large distributors. Brian, you are 100% correct! Archaic Alcohol Regulatory System Must Modernize Argues New White Paper   National Association of Wine Retailers Publishes “Modernizing Alcohol Regulation"   Source: https://nawr.org/ June 17, 2024   Over 90 years after it was first proposed and implemented in most states, the three-tier system of alcohol distribution has proven that it cannot address the needs of a modern society and changed culture, argues a new white paper released by the National Association of Wine Retailers (NAWR). “Modernizing Alcohol Regulation” suggests that a new set of principles, not addressed by the nearly 100-year-old three-tier system, must guide a new approach to alcohol regulation in the United States.   The New white paper can be downloaded at the NAWR Website. https://lnkd.in/eMj282aN   “Modernizing Alcohol Regulation” demonstrates that the underlying principles of the three-tier system do not address the primary economic, social, and political concerns of a 21st-century America—a society that bears no resemblance to the conditions existing in the late 19th and early 20th century that the three-tier system was created to address.   Replacing an Archaic System Incapable of Addressing a Modern Industry   Originally designed and deployed to prevent the return of the “Tied House System ” prevalent before Prohibition, the three-tier system’s most important feature is the legal mandate that producers and suppliers must go through middlemen wholesalers before their products may be sold at retail, while retailers may only procure inventory from the same wholesalers. “Modernizing Alcohol Regulation” argues this mandate is inappropriate in 2024 and does not address contemporary issues surrounding alcohol sales and consumption. The new NAWR white paper proposes a new set of principles to guide a modern alcohol regulatory system as well as proposed policies derived from those principles.   “A broad discussion of the significant infirmities of the three-tier system is long overdue,” explains Tom Wark, executive director of the National Association of Wine Retailers. “The archaic three-tier system not only hampers innovation within the alcohol industry but fails to draw attention to the most important concerns and desires of consumers and is leading to anti-competitive practices that harm producers, retailers, importers, consumers, and even small distributors. This white paper attempts to refocus attention on the most important issues facing the alcohol beverage industry and society.”   Issues addressed in “Modernizing Alcohol Regulation” include:   -The origins of the three-tier system   -How social, cultural, and economic changes have rendered the three-tier system obsolete   There's a bit more to this paper...    

In the wake of Prohibition, the three-tier alcohol system was established at a federal level in 1933 to prevent "monopolies" and ensure the safe, regulated distribution of alcohol. While its foundation aimed to address concerns of the time, there's a growing conversation around whether this system meets the needs of today's consumers and market dynamics. With the evolution of consumers buying habits, especially towards convenience and direct-to-consumer sales, isn't it time to revisit these laws? The debate over the legality of direct-to-consumer shipments proves a gigantic gap between our current legislation and consumer expectations. In today's world, the demand for direct doorstep delivery—alcohol or otherwise—is undeniable. What are your thoughts on overhauling the three-tier alcohol system to align with today's consumer behavior and technological advancements? #advancement #innovacion #alcohol #dtc #ecommerce https://lnkd.in/ePiFu_7n