FAYETTEVILLE — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has applied for permits to sell beer and wine at all three of its Fayetteville locations, and at least two officials plan to oppose the requests.
Alcoholic Beverage Control, which reviews all requests for the sale of beer, wine and liquor, received the applications late last week.
Agency Director Michael Langley probably will consider the applications in September. If there is no opposition, Langley said he will likely approve the applications. But Fayetteville Police Chief Greg Tabor and state Sen. Sue Madison, D-Fayetteville, said Tuesday that they intend to file protests.
"This would be just another place where minors could buy alcohol that we would have to monitor," said Tabor, who has unsuccessfully fought against the agency issuing beer permits to several convenience stores this year.
Madison takes the same stand as Tabor.
"I'm opposed to Wal-Mart selling beer," Madison said. "I'll probably be writing another letter."
If the permits are opposed, the applications probably will go before the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board in October or November.
Laurie Smalling, senior manager for public affairs and government relations for Wal-Mart, said Tuesday that the retailer would probably appeal any denial to the board, as the company did with a permit application for the store in Mountain Home.
Wal-Mart moved forward with the applications because of customer demand, Smalling said.
"We decided to pursue the permits to add extra convenience for our customers," she said. "Our customers have told us they want to buy beer."
Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan said he hasn't taken a position on the matter, while Steve Clark, president of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, said chamber members are bound to talk about the permits. Members of the chamber include Wal-Mart, competitor Harps Food Stores, several liquor stores and at least two beer distributors.
"We have a lot of diverse opinions," Clark said. "I'm sure it will be discussed."
Earlier this year, Madison sent a letter to Alcoholic Beverage Control saying she wanted to lodge a "blanket objection" to the issuance of beer permits to convenience stores in Washington County and that she wanted the objection to last a year.
In the letter, she said beer and wine sales at convenience stores could result in an increase in sales to minors. On Tuesday, Madison repeated that concern and said when it comes to beer and wine sales, she doesn't see a big difference between convenience stores and Wal-Mart.
"It certainly increases the exposure [to minors]," she said.
Smalling rejects the claim that permits for Wal-Mart will make it easier for minors to buy beer. The retailer has a tough tracking system, and cashiers are trained to avoid selling to minors, Smalling said.
Cashiers who are caught doing so are terminated, she said.
Wal-Mart and Sam's Club already sell beer at 35 locations across Arkansas, including in West Memphis, Wynne, McGehee,Ozark, Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village, Newport, Pine Bluff, Paris, Flippin, Texarkana, Blytheville, Brinkley, Camden, West Helena, Maumelle, Sherwood, Little Rock, North Little Rock, Fort Smith, Forrest City and El Dorado.
Wal-Mart recently added beer sales to its location in Blytheville, but the board denied a permit for its store in Fordyce. A permit is pending for the store in Mountain Home.
"Their practice in the last year and a half is to seek beer and wine [permits] for any of the larger stores that didn't have it," Langley said.
Smalling said there are currently no plans to seek permits for the three Wal-Mart locations in Springdale.
"For now we're focused on the Fayetteville permits," she said.
Harps, which has locations throughout Northwest Arkansas, has an eye on what Wal-Mart is doing.
Kim Eskew, president and chief operating officer for Harps, said management will discuss the Wal-Mart applications.
"We'll have to address this internally," Eskew said. "I don't know on what grounds [Wal-Mart] would be denied. That's what we'll assume will happen."
Harps sells beer at its Fort Smith locations and at stores in Oklahoma and Missouri.
It's not likely Harps will oppose Wal-Mart's applications, Eskew said.
Of the four Harps locations in Fayetteville, three have enough space for beer and wine sales, Eskew said.
"We could add it to the mix," he said. "If Wal-Mart gets [beer and wine], it would have to be something we'd consider."
Arkansas, Pages 15 on 08/26/2009