Grocers are battling alcohol laws. Here's how the fight is going in 3 states.

When Oklahoma started allowing grocery stores to sell full-strength beer and wine in October 2018, Homeland wasn't expecting beer sales to pour in. 

The grocer, which sold low-strength beer previously, saw a surprising double-digit increase in beer sales, along with larger basket sizes and incremental wine growth for a year after the law changed, said Marc Jones, president and CEO of HAC, the company that runs the Homeland banner. “If we look at the past year and the effects of the pandemic, for us both grew by more than 20% in 2020 although wine grew faster than beer," Jones wrote in an email.

Grocers in numerous other states where alcohol is banned or restricted in stores would love to see a similar lift. Buoyed by strong sales over the past year and by the prospect of both higher margins and customer satisfaction, retailers and their supporters are redoubling their push for changes that will expand their alcohol selections.

In Maryland, for example, a new crop of state lawmakers offers an opening for legislation that would allow alcohol sales in more grocery stores, advocates say. In Connecticut, lawmakers are pushing several bills aimed at bringing wine to store shelves.

Laws centered on alcohol sales in grocery stores vary across states and counties, with restrictions ranging from maximum alcohol content allowed to the number of alcohol licenses retailers can have to the types of alcohol they can sell. Several states have begun easing those restrictions in recent years. Not long after Oklahoma began allowing full-strength beer sales, Kansas raised the alcohol content from 3.2% by volume to 6% for beer sold in grocery stores, while Colorado allowed grocers to offer full-strength beer. Over the past year, the pandemic has increased demand for one-stop shopping among customers and prompted legislators to loosen up alcohol rules around takeout drinks and alcohol delivery.