Wal-Mart Temporarily Banned From Selling Booze at Marion Store
It's unfortunately not always that uncommon to hear reports of your local neighborhood gas station or convenience store being in trouble for selling age-restricted products to minors, but when a major retail chain is caught doing it, it's certainly going to make news.
Reportedly, one Cedar Rapids metro area Wal-Mart now can't sell liquor, at least temporarily.
The ban went into effect October 7, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette, and is set to last until November 6. An employee was recently caught selling alcohol to a minor, and according to Tyler Ackerson, executive director of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, it is the second time in two years for the Marion store.
The first offense is $500, and the second time in two years results in a $1,500 fine and a 30-day license suspension. Should this happen again, three violations in three years will result in another $1,500 fine and a 60-day suspension, and four times in four years equals a permanent liquor license suspension.
Further reporting from the Corridor Business Journal says the suspension was officially imposed after a Wal-Mart employee sold liquor to a person under the legal age on July 27, comprising the store’s second violation of the state’s retail liquor license regulations in the past two years. A Cedar Falls Wal-Mart location faced a similar incident in 2013.
What may have taken so long for the ban to go into effect is that Wal-Mart was appealing the suspension, but later retracted the appeal and accepted the punishment.
All liquor has reportedly been completely removed from shelves at the Marion store until the end of the ban.