Most Small Businesses Won’t Benefit
Chicago’s Aldermen on Tuesday voted 47-1 to
allow large city retailers to begin selling alcohol at 8 am on Sunday rather
than at 11 am. However, the bill, a pared-down version of one proposed earlier
this year, would only apply to supermarkets of 10,000-square feet or more, and
only to those that devote at least 25% of their retail sales to products other
than alcohol. Alderman Patrick O’Connor introduced the idea back in January,
but had to modify his proposal to exclude smaller stores due to concerns from
his colleagues.
What This Means For Small Business:
These provisions effectively exclude most of the city’s small businesses,
particularly small mom and pop operations that depend on liquor sales to bring
in customers. The small business community was excluded from the change because
of opposition from some local groups who were concerned that an earlier Sunday
opening would be detrimental to neighborhoods.
Further Reading:
The Chicago
Tribune,
the Chicago
Sun-Times,
and WMAQ-TV all cover the story.
This news article is intended to keep small business owners apprised of current events that may affect them. It does not necessarily reflect NFIB’s policy position on such issues.