This is the beer/wine aisle at the Uptown on May.

The new owners told the Oklahoman the removal is not due to personal views, but because they operate in small towns and don't want to compete with local convenience stores. That makes zero sense to me, particularly in this type of store.

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If they manage to replace it with items new to the store then great, but I really enjoyed the one stop shop concept: flowers, dinner/dessert, wine/beer

I really enjoyed the one stop shop concept: flowers, dinner/dessert, wine/beer

Right. This decision worries me regarding the future direction of the store and the operator's ability to compete in OKC vs. small towns.

That’s a crock of sh*t for this store.

Profoundly disappointing that the new owners of an important grocery chain for the area think that operating in a big city involves the same decision making process as operating in small towns.

Very small-town thinking, stupid - you have to be flexible (a 10-story building cannot be managed/maintained the same way a single-story ranch house can), glad we don't shop there anymore.

I go here frequently as I work next door, and it is really frustrating that they've made this decision.... they're clearly out of touch with the wants and needs of a larger city. Their selection had continued to approve, but I guess this means I'll give Freeman's more of my business.

I'm interested to see how they continue to manage a more "upscale" grocery store, but this is not a good sign. I overheard one of the new owners yesterday on the phone bragging to someone about how they now have the ability to juice their own orange juice in-house. If they're unfamiliar with something so basic, I worry about the other, nicer, amenities the store currently offers.

At this particular location, there is a very nice Homeland with a full wine and beer selection right across the street.

And you do you think all those North Edmond shoppers are going to be fine with removing a key element found at every single other grocery store in the state?

Also, I reached out to them almost 2 weeks ago about this and they never even bothered to get back to me.


I have a bad feeling about this.

We really loved their flowers at Uptown, they always last a good while past other places and their prices are great. I also have never been a fan of the ready-made options at other places. But I am willing to branch out if anyone has seen decently priced, ready-made flower arrangements.

I go here frequently as I work next door, and it is really frustrating that they've made this decision.... they're clearly out of touch with the wants and needs of a larger city. Their selection had continued to approve, but I guess this means I'll give Freeman's more of my business.

I'm interested to see how they continue to manage a more "upscale" grocery store, but this is not a good sign. I overheard one of the new owners yesterday on the phone bragging to someone about how they now have the ability to juice their own orange juice in-house. If they're unfamiliar with something so basic, I worry about the other, nicer, amenities the store currently offers.

Not to mention the Village location had a juice/coffee bar for several years before shutting it down. In-house juicing isn't a new idea, even to this specific store.

I've been pleasantly surprised by changes Homeland across Britton from Uptown has apparently made to compete with Uptown. Not a bad shopping experience, at all.

Right. This decision worries me regarding the future direction of the store and the operator's ability to compete in OKC vs. small towns.

Maybe they think The Village is a "small town"? I mean, they'd be right, but it's part of a bigger town, too. Weird choice, in my opinion. Haven't been back in since they started clearing out the shelves a week or so ago.

Not to mention the Village location had a juice/coffee bar for several years before shutting it down. In-house juicing isn't a new idea, even to this specific store.

I've been pleasantly surprised by changes Homeland across Britton from Uptown has apparently made to compete with Uptown. Not a bad shopping experience, at all.

Right, I overheard that at the Village location. I took it more as he was very excited to now have that capability compared to their existing stores, which makes me worry that they're out of touch with what amenities are expected at a grocer of that level.

I live in the Village and I'm not real thrilled, because Homeland and the liquor store next door to it are in Oklahoma City. Hurts tax collections for the Village. I'm gonna speculate with zero knowledge that Uptown got some incentives to build in the Village, and I wish that maximizing and protecting tax revenue streams would have been included in the deal.

I recall reading the article in the Oklahoman regarding the new owner interview. I have spent enough time in the evangelical church to pick up signs that their objection to alcohol sales in their stores is religious. First off, you say you partake yourself on occasion (make it vague and unverifiable about when and where), then mention that you don't sell because of helping smaller business neighbors who do (selfless and virtuous), then finish with statements about the pain of addiction and lives destroyed by alcoholism (making that part longer than the rest of the discussion combined).

I live in the Village and I'm not real thrilled, because Homeland and the liquor store next door to it are in Oklahoma City. Hurts tax collections for the Village. I'm gonna speculate with zero knowledge that Uptown got some incentives to build in the Village, and I wish that maximizing and protecting tax revenue streams would have been included in the deal.

I recall reading the article in the Oklahoman regarding the new owner interview. I have spent enough time in the evangelical church to pick up signs that their objection to alcohol sales in their stores is religious. First off, you say you partake yourself on occasion (make it vague and unverifiable about when and where), then mention that you don't sell because of helping smaller business neighbors who do (selfless and virtuous), then finish with statements about the pain of addiction and lives destroyed by alcoholism (making that part longer than the rest of the discussion combined).

I live in the Village and I'm not real thrilled, because Homeland and the liquor store next door to it are in Oklahoma City. Hurts tax collections for the Village. I'm gonna speculate with zero knowledge that Uptown got some incentives to build in the Village, and I wish that maximizing and protecting tax revenue streams would have been included in the deal.

I recall reading the article in the Oklahoman regarding the new owner interview. I have spent enough time in the evangelical church to pick up signs that their objection to alcohol sales in their stores is religious. First off, you say you partake yourself on occasion (make it vague and unverifiable about when and where), then mention that you don't sell because of helping smaller business neighbors who do (selfless and virtuous), then finish with statements about the pain of addiction and lives destroyed by alcoholism (making that part longer than the rest of the discussion combined).

Not that it was a change from Uptown, but they have definitely kept with pumping Christian music throughout the store.

^

I also strongly suspect that despite the denial, the elimination of alcohol has everything to do with personal views.

^

I also strongly suspect that despite the denial, the elimination of alcohol has everything to do with personal views.


While I think the decision is idiotic I can appreciate people standing for their beliefs in the face of lost revenue. I bet this hurts the Edmond location more than the Village.

While I think the decision is idiotic I can appreciate people standing for their beliefs in the face of lost revenue. I bet this hurts the Edmond location more than the Village.

I'd have more respect for it being a personal belief issue if they were honest about it.

I'd have more respect for it being a personal belief issue if they were honest about it.
Me too.

I forgot another portion of the interview that I was surprised by, and hope we have an expert on here who can clarify:

I recall Mr. Pruett said that alcohol sales are a low-margin business and legal red tape makes it not really worth the effort. I wonder if this is true? I ask because I remember the big north sider rumor has always been that Aubrey McClendon had to promise Whole Foods that they did not have to pay any rent until higher percentage alcohol sales were legal in grocery stores. Reportedly due to the high profit margin on those products.

^

Those comments don't make sense, especially since Uptown generally has higher prices in exchange for a more upscale shopping experience. Their alcohol margins should be better than just about anywhere and somehow virtually every grocery store in the state sells it, and for good reason: it's profitable.

Someone posted these photos of Buy4Less on the OKCTalk Twitter feed:

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Sometimes those low margin items are what gets people to the store in the first place.

also you have to look at the fact that most of these grocery stores carried a much better selection of local beer, and i assume local wine, than gas stations. So while their reasoning is to not hurt local businesses they are in fact hurting some local businesses.