Tops to Sell Wine in 2 Pa. Stores

Tops Markets LLC has received a Wine Expanded Permit (WEP) to sell wine at two of its Pennsylvania locations. Shoppers at the stores will be able to purchase up to 3 liters, or about four bottles of wine, per purchase.

The program is currently being piloted at a location in Warren, Pa., with a store in Erie set to follow suit shortly. Customers will find more than 75 SKUs of wine available, with that number expanding to 135-plus by the end of the month. Wine can be purchased during normal store hours, is on the shelves where customers currently find the grocery store chain’s beer selections, and may even be specially ordered at store level.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer our shoppers the added convenience and value of purchasing their wine while shopping with us,” said Kristen Hanson, VP of center store sales and merchandising at Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops. “Customers are able to select from a wide variety of sizes, from single bottles and multipacks to even a limited-release 750-milliliter. bottle.”

Offerings will include both domestic and imported wines, including Apothic Red, Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling, Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon and even Dom Perignon Champagne. Currently, Tops is also reviewing a range of opportunities with local vendors to carry their wines.

The ability to sell wine in Pennsylvania was made possible under the Pennsylvania Modernization Act, which was signed this past June. Before now, Tops could sell wine only in three of its Vermont stores. Other Pennsylvania retailers such as Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle (PG's 2016 Retailer of the Year) Sunbury-based Weis Markets, have begun selling wine.

Tops operates 172 full-service supermarkets, with five additional stores run by franchisees under the Tops banner. The company employs more than 16,000 associates in New York, northern Pennsylvania, western Vermont and north central Massachusetts.