STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The National Supermarket Association (NSA), which represents independent supermarkets across NYC — including Superfresh, KeyFood, Met Foodmarkets, Foodtown and at least 34 other stores — is urging lawmakers to modernize state liquor laws and allow grocery stores to sell wine.
“For decades, our supermarkets have served as the cornerstone of food access in New York’s underserved neighborhoods,” Nelson Eusebio, director of government relations for the NSA, noted in a press release. “We are not corporate giants — we are small, family-owned businesses fighting to survive in an increasingly difficult market. Allowing grocery stores to sell wine is not just about fairness; it’s about ensuring the survival of the independent supermarkets that so many communities rely on.”
The NSA argued that the current prohibition on wine sales in grocery stores is an outdated policy that harms consumers, local grocers and New York’s own wine industry…