Small liquor shops struggling under new law

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - 11 months ago, as full-strength beer made its way out of liquor stores and onto supermarket shelves. many small business owners were worried. Now, we're hearing from one local liquor operator who says they're definitely feeling the impacts.

Queen Liquor is a Colorado Springs staple. They've been in business for decades. But now, they're in uncharted waters. A year after the full-strength beer law went into effect, their future is still uncertain. 

"We all hoped that it wouldn't be as difficult as it has been, as financially painful as it has been," said owner Kit Abrams.

This time last year, if you wanted craft beer - brews above 3.2% alcohol - or wine and liquor, you'd stop at your local liquor store. Now, full-strength beer is available at the super markets. 

"[Shoppers] have a big shopping cart. They're just gonna stick a six-pack of beer in there and make it convenient for themselves," she said.

According to the Colorado Liquor Stores Association, out of the 1,650 retail store licenses in Colorado, about 1,000 are members of the association.  They say stores like Queen Liquor saw a significant drop, with most members reporting a 25% reduction in sales, putting owners like Abrams in less than optimistic spirits.

"I've had to eliminate several positions. I eliminated a manager, I eliminated a full-time position because we've all been concerned about expenses," she said.

Abrams says it's still a bit too soon to tell the lasting effects, but the changes are far from subtle. 

"I'm not really doing any new improvements. We're just watching our inventory very closely and our payroll and our overhead and being very careful about our expenditures," she said. On top of that, beer sales are down nationwide.

While the number of stores that have shuttered is still fairly small, Abrams says some are poised to close after the first of the year. 

Queen Liquor is located off Uintah, right next to a King Soopers.