STAR, Idaho — The Star Mercantile will no longer be selling liquor as their special distributor agreement with the state is expiring as a new state liquor store opens up down the road.
- Star Merc has been a special distributor for the state liquor division for decades.
- A new state-operated liquor store has opened up in Star.
- Due to the new store, The Merc is no longer allowed to sell liquor according to the state.
- The Merc has been around since 1908.
- Many locals are worried and concerned for the future of the mom-and-pop shop.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
For decades, people in Star have come to the Star Merc to buy their favorite bottle of liquor but that's about to change.
"You can come into the store, do your shopping, also pick up a bottle of booze," said one customer.
That's what people in Star are used to. A one-stop-shop at the Star Merc. Phillip Wilson has since retired but was once the long-time liquor department manager at the Merc. Now, with the Merc's agreement to sell state liquor coming to an end, he's concerned about their future.
"They may not go out of business, but it's going to hurt their business," explained Wilson.
For decades, the Star Merc has been what's called a "special distributor" for the state. The agreement allows the Merc to buy liquor from the state and sell it at state prices. But, the Idaho State Liquor Division is allowing the year-to-year agreement to expire and instead, opening up a brand new state-run liquor store on State Street.
Wilson went on saying, "As the cities grew like Kuna did, they went ahead and put in a store there. It put another business out of business. They were depending quite a bit on the liquor sales. Same as the Merc does.
Owners say liquor sales account for about 20% of their business, and with big box stores popping up nearby, their business has been stretched thin from being a grocery mercantile to a quick-stop convenient store.
Customer Suzanne Carrasco told Idaho News 6, "I was upset a little bit because we've had the Merc here for lots of years. I've lived here for over 15 years and the Star Merc provides everything we need as far as liquor. I won't go to that liquor store."
The state tells me the new store will better serve the community with a selection three times the size of what's currently available at the Merc, but store owners say they offered to expand their liquor space in hopes of staying on as a special distributor.
"I want to support the Star Merc and that is the end of it," said Carrasco.
These special distributor contracts are evaluated and renewed every year. The Merc's agreement was supposed to end at the end of 2023, but they've stayed on a month-to-month basis while construction wrapped up here on the new State Liquor Store. But, with these doors now ready to open, the Merc's current agreement will end at the end of February.
