liquor3.jpg
Private retailers report liquor is disappearing off store shelves. (AP Photo/file)

Liquor boosting much worse than first reported

BY Chris Sullivan  on October 31, 2012 @ 4:17 am (Updated: 9:36 am - 10/31/12 )

Washington state has been out of the liquor business for around five months, and in that time private retailers have discovered some challenges in keeping the once state-controlled product from disappearing off store shelves.

KIRO Radio reported earlier this month that liquor theft is a major problem across the state, but it turns out the issue is much worse than originally thought.

There are a few stores that lost up to $30,000 worth of liquor in just the first three months of privatization.

"In the first three months, it was anywhere from $30,000 up to $50,000," Jana Jorgensen in the Seattle City Attorney's office said. "Now I'm hearing it can be from $500 to $1,000 a day just walking out of the store." And that's at multiple stores all over the region.

Jorgensen said a dedicated city attorney and SPD officer are focused on retail theft, and they have turned their attention to liquor theft. She said King County has so many cases it can't prosecute them and won't until the theft amount is over a $1,000.

Jorgensen said store managers don't know what to do. Some want to make changes, but their corporate bosses won't let them.

"Some stores are saying, 'Well the losses aren't great enough for corporate to step in and do something yet,'" she said, though she knows of one, Albertson's that is moving its liquor behind the service counter, but that's at only one of its locations.

One of the big questions I've had in all of this is where is all this liquor going?

I've heard rumors of guys approaching people in parking lots and asking if they need cheap liquor, and Jorgensen confirmed that.

"I talked to one of the loss prevention officers who actually went undercover and found a bunch of his own product in this guy's trunk, and as he's walking away this other guy says 'Hey did you get what you want because if you didn't I'm going back in that store again. I hit them everyday.'"

But that's a one or two bottle transaction.

What Jorgensen believes is driving this is bars and restaurants who don't want to pay the high taxes on liquor, and they're stocking their shelves with boosted booze.

"I think that's the reason why they're seeing a lot of that high-end that's going because there's a demand for it from the restaurants, the nightclubs and the bars," she said. "Those are the types of alcohol that they want." That's why high-end vodka and whiskey is flying off store shelves.

So what to do about this?

We've reported at length about stores changing their policies by locking up the liquor or adding security, but most of the big chains don't appear ready to do that. It's against company policy or would cost too much.

But Jorgensen believes it will be the Legislature that will have to step in to force some changes.

"The state counted on a lot of this tax money to fund programs, and they're losing that every time a bottle of liquor walks out the door," she said. "Maybe the Legislature would need to come in and set policies for these stores if they're unwilling to do it themselves."

If Jorgensen's numbers are right, that means $1000 a day, that's $365,000 in losses for the year, and that's one store. At some point, the losses are going to be too big to dismiss.

Chris Sullivan, KIRO Radio Reporter
Chris loves the rush of covering breaking news and works hard to try to make sense of it all while telling stories about real people in extraordinary circumstances.
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Comments (19)


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  • imanegro wrote...
    of course this never happened
    October 31, 2012 6:25 am
    It never happened at the state-run stores, right?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Crooner2008 wrote...
    imanegro
    October 31, 2012 9:00 am
    Yes it probably did happen at Stae run stores, but on this scale. The state run stores funneled people to one entrance/exit beyond the registers. When you have more open stores with multiple points of entry, its much easier to boost the booze.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • newsguysully wrote...
    From the newsroom
    October 31, 2012 6:33 am
    Oh it happened, but not to this extent.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Bad Bill wrote...
    boozeboost
    October 31, 2012 7:19 am
    some retailers lock the high-end in cabinets. huh
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Annie (1) wrote...
    Why Can't They..
    October 31, 2012 7:46 am
    Mr. Sullivan..did you by chance ask any of these stores why they can't/won't do what California stores do..put those security caps on the bottles that have to be removed at checkout or else they'll sound an alarm--or is that covered under your "it's against company policy or would cost too much " sentence? I don't know about most stores here-but at the store I shop at when you enter & exit the liquor isle a buzzer goes off. I don't know if that triggers a security camera but it defintely is loud enough to alert store employees. I have no idea if it is a deterrent or not-but it's something.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • flipper wrote...
    Security Caps
    October 31, 2012 9:30 am
    At the QFC and Safeway in my community, they have the buzzer caps on them. Let me get this argument straibht. Because you have grocers losing stock and not paying tax on that stock, the solution is to stick it to the consumer with a higher liquor tax which will further exacerbate those who want to steal meaning you'll want to raise the tax again. Great philosophy. I bet we can grow our economy that way.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    @ flipper
    October 31, 2012 12:16 pm
    Too funny. I like that they are incapable of thinking for themselves and immediately need to run to the legislature to "fix" the problem. What a bunch of sheep. Ad we wonder why government is so out of control...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • WestWAFlyer wrote...
    Got... to... make... more... laws............
    October 31, 2012 2:33 pm
    ...but THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW!!!!!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • awbitf wrote...
    If a store is unwilling/uncapable of selling a controlled product
    October 31, 2012 7:51 am
    don't let them sell it.

    "Corporate bosses won't let them"... well, they will if they want to stay in that retail game.

    Stores are fined when they sell it to minors, why not fine them for not controlling the product, and if they're a repeat offender, revoke their license to sell it?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    Most stores dont stop Shoplifting
    October 31, 2012 10:13 am
    Due to all the stupid lawsuits. I know that Albertsons will not chase you if you make it to the door. WHY, cause some Low Life got hurt and sued them and WON. So now they will only stop you in store if they see you. But, they have cut staff so much its hard for them to even see what is going on.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    The other problem is Albertsons wont prosecute
    October 31, 2012 10:15 am
    if they catch you, they only issue a No Trespass order, which at the store my wife works at, the Low life's don't follow anyway.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    RFID
    October 31, 2012 10:19 am
    They can place inexpensive RFID tags identifying the store on each bottle's front label. Readers can be placed at the exit doors, and portable readers can go into bars. Make it illegal to remove labels from bottles. Pretty simple solution.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Joe the Printer wrote...
    Easier solution...
    October 31, 2012 12:22 pm
    DON'T PUT THE LIQUOR IN THE BACK OF THE STORE!!!! Hire one extra person to work the front end of the store and monitor the liquor, problem solved. Have you ever been in to a 24 hour grocery store after 11pm? They have two, maybe three people working. I cannot believe they put the liquor in the back, that was like printing invitations out to crooks to come steal as much liquor as you can!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cigarfan wrote...
    State run stores
    October 31, 2012 5:44 pm
    would ask anyone who even looks under 21 to leave or produce ID upon entering. I'm sure State run stores had theft, but nothing like now. Workers losing their jobs, Higher alcohol thefts by youths and higher prices. Aren't you glad you drank the Costco koolaid and voted for this? (I voted against privatizing Liquor).
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • when reality hits you wrote...
    So what did we realy get?
    October 31, 2012 6:41 pm
    The stores themselves pushed permit limitations based on square footage and now Mom and Pop cant afford to open a 10,000 square foot store and compete with Walmart and Albertsons selling booze. They say that they have $500 to $1000 a day in losses? I say let them take their lumps for being greedy. I dont like monopolies. We traided a state run monopoli for one ran by Mega chains. Greed is not so good after all.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • chellesbelles wrote...
    umm...
    October 31, 2012 8:22 pm
    She said King County has so many cases it can't prosecute them and won't until the theft amount is over a $1,000. So, one can go to King county and steal $999 worth of liquor with nary a consequence? Good to know...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cameron wrote...
    What are the reported losses at Total Wine and More and other exclusive liquor sellers?
    October 31, 2012 8:26 pm
    Is it just Grocery stores? I have lived in other states where the liquor section is completely closed off except for one entrance, it even had it's own check out. What about at the dreaded Costco? It sounds like a bunch of pro State Liquor whining.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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