Buying Beer In Connecticut On Sundays: Is It Legal?

In Connecticut, you can buy beer on Sundays, but only at on-premise retailers like restaurants and bars, and only between the hours of 10 am and 5 or 6 pm. You cannot buy beer at off-premise retailers like liquor stores on Sundays. This law was passed in 2012, and while liquor store owners initially opposed it, fearing it would hurt their businesses, a 2024 study by the University of Connecticut found that it had neither negative nor positive effects on liquor or grocery stores.

Beer can be purchased in Connecticut on Sundays at on-premise retailers, but not at off-premise retailers

The change in the law was the result of a new state bill that was passed in 2012. Before this, the sale of alcohol on Sundays had been prohibited in Connecticut for over a century. The bill was opposed by liquor store owners, who were concerned about the extra costs of operating on Sundays and the potential loss of sales to grocery stores, as Sunday is a popular day for food shopping. They also worried about the social costs of increased alcohol sales.

However, research by the University of Connecticut has shown that these fears were unfounded. The study, which examined data from 2004 to 2021, found no adverse effects on liquor stores after the bill was passed. There was an initial increase in beer sales at both grocery and liquor stores, but this was short-lived and sales soon levelled off. The study also found that the number of independent liquor stores in the state actually increased slightly over time, demonstrating that the law did not have the negative impact that many liquor store owners had predicted.

While beer can now be purchased in Connecticut on Sundays, there are still some restrictions on alcohol sales in the state. For example, alcohol cannot be sold in package stores on Sundays, and off-premise retailers can only sell alcohol between 9 am and 10 pm from Monday to Saturday. Additionally, while beer can be purchased at grocery stores and gas stations, these retailers do not sell wine or spirits.

Beer can be bought at grocery stores in Connecticut on Sundays

In Connecticut, beer can be purchased at grocery stores on Sundays. This has been the case since 2012, when the state repealed its longstanding prohibition on Sunday alcohol sales. The change in legislation was the result of a new state law which allowed retail alcohol sales on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in package stores, and beer sales during the same hours in supermarkets.

The change in the law was opposed by liquor store owners, who were concerned that it would negatively impact their businesses. They argued that being open an extra day would increase their operating costs, and that consumers would be more likely to buy beer from grocery stores on Sundays, one of the most popular days for food shopping. However, these fears proved to be unfounded, as a 2024 study by the University of Connecticut found that there were no adverse effects on liquor stores after the bill was passed. The study, which examined data from 2004 to 2021, also found no significant change in liquor store sales or employment.

It's worth noting that while beer can be purchased at grocery stores in Connecticut on Sundays, this is the only type of alcohol that can be sold in these stores. Liquor and wine cannot be purchased in grocery stores at all. Additionally, alcohol cannot be sold in package stores on Sundays, but it can be sold at restaurants and other on-premise establishments from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Liquor stores were concerned that Sunday sales would hurt their businesses

Liquor store owners in Connecticut were concerned that a new law allowing Sunday alcohol sales would hurt their businesses. They worried that if people could buy beer from grocery stores on Sundays, one of the most popular days for food shopping, customers would not make additional trips to liquor stores. They also feared that the law would increase their operating costs, as they would need to be open for an extra day each week.

These concerns were not unfounded. Sunday is one of the busiest days for food shopping, and grocery stores already sell beer. Allowing them to sell beer on Sundays would give them an advantage over liquor stores, which are usually closed that day. Liquor store owners worried that people would prefer the convenience of buying beer during their regular grocery shop, rather than making a separate trip to a liquor store. This could potentially result in a significant loss of business for liquor stores.

The law also meant that liquor stores would have to be open for an extra day each week, increasing their operating costs. This includes additional staff costs, as well as overhead costs such as electricity and rent. These costs would need to be covered by the store's revenue, which might not be possible if their sales decreased as a result of the new law.

However, research by the University of Connecticut has shown that these fears were unfounded. The study, conducted by assistant professor of agriculture and resource economics Cristina Connolly and PhD student Alyssa McDonnell, found no adverse effects on liquor stores after the bill was passed. There was an initial jump in beer sales at both grocery and liquor stores, but this was short-lived and sales soon returned to previous levels. The number of independent liquor stores in the state actually increased slightly over time, demonstrating that the law did not have the negative impact that many liquor store owners had feared.

In fact, the law could have benefited liquor stores by giving them an opportunity to attract new customers. People who usually buy beer at grocery stores on Sundays may now have been enticed to visit liquor stores, where they could find a wider selection of alcoholic beverages. This could have helped liquor stores to increase their sales and expand their customer base.

Liquor stores in Connecticut can open on Sundays, but many choose not to

The law change was opposed by liquor store owners, who were concerned about the extra expense incurred from being open an extra day, as well as the potential for reduced sales and employment. They also worried that consumers would opt to purchase beer from grocery stores, as Sunday is a popular day for food shopping, and that this would negatively impact their businesses.

However, a study by the University of Connecticut found that these fears were largely unfounded. The study, which examined data from 2004 to 2021, showed no adverse effects on liquor stores after the bill was passed. There was an initial slight jump in beer sales at both grocery and liquor stores, but this effect was short-lived and sales returned to normal levels within a month. The study also found that the number of independent liquor stores in the state actually increased slightly over time, demonstrating that the law change did not have the negative impact that many liquor store owners had feared.

Despite this, many liquor stores in Connecticut still choose to close on Sundays or maintain their previous operating hours. This may be due to a variety of factors, including the additional costs of staying open for an extra day, a lack of demand for late-night alcohol sales, and a desire to protest the law change, which was opposed by the organizations representing these stores.

Sunday sales of beer in Connecticut have not negatively impacted liquor stores

Since 2012, Connecticut residents have been able to purchase alcohol on Sundays. This came into effect following a new state law which allows retail alcohol sales on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at package stores and supermarkets.

When the bill was initially proposed, owners of liquor stores worried that the law would hurt their businesses. They reasoned that if people could buy beer from grocery stores on Sundays, one of the most popular days for food shopping, they would not make additional trips to liquor stores. They also worried that the law would increase their operating costs, as they would need to be open for an extra day.

However, according to a study by UConn researchers, these fears were unfounded. The study, conducted by Cristina Connolly, assistant professor of agriculture and resource economics, and Alyssa McDonnell, a Ph.D. student, found no adverse effects on liquor stores after the bill was passed. Using data from 2004 to 2021, they tracked liquor and grocery store closures, openings, sales, and employee numbers. While they found a slight jump in beer sales at both grocery and liquor stores immediately following the bill’s passage, this effect was short-lived. "There was this kind of novelty of the new policy," Connolly said, "but it then evened out after about a month, and for the rest of the year, we did not see a difference."

The study also found that there was no significant change in liquor store sales or employment, demonstrating that Sunday sales of beer in Connecticut have not negatively impacted liquor stores. On the other hand, there was also not much of a positive impact on grocery stores, which some had expected at the time of the bill's passage.

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