Some Indiana liquor store owners against alcohol sales on Sunday, Kroger for it

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - The idea of expanding alcohol sales to Sunday in Indiana is getting tossed around in a House committee .  Some liquor store owners in our area aren't in favor of that idea.  But other big businesses like Kroger are for it.

The idea of Sunday alcohol sales isn't appealing to Belmont Beverage Operations Manager, Gary Gardner.  He said most liquor store owners feel the same.  Gardner said the issue is getting attention again because grocery stores are lobbying for it in Indianapolis.  He said Sunday is the second biggest shopping day out of the week for big box grocery stores, so they might benefit from increased alcohol sales.

"The citizens of the state of Indiana did not start this.  They after it because it's not that big of a thing.  It's strictly revenue driven period," Belmont Beverage Operations Manager Gary Gardner said.

Kroger spokesperson John Elliott disagrees.  He said customers simply want to be able to buy alcohol on Sundays.

"Every single week we have customer service issues in the stores where customers want to be able to buy alcohol when they're doing the rest of their shopping," Kroger spokesperson John Elliott explained.

Instead Elliott said business is being taken to neighboring states where Hoosiers can buy alcohol on Sunday.

"People cross the state lines. They take their entire shopping list Ohio or Kentucky or Michigan or Illinois and Indiana is losing that revenue for business and the proportionate amount of jobs."

Research from Ball State University found if alcohol sales were extended to Sunday about 10 to 25 percent of locally owned and operated liquor stores in Indiana would go out of business.  Click here to see the study.