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Norwalk Liquor Mega Store Has Other Connecticut Stores Worried

HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - A huge liquor store opening in Fairfield County this week has smaller package store owners across Connecticut worrying that it could be a trend.

WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau On The Story

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The 35,000 square foot store run by Total Wine & More will be in the former Wine Nation building at 380 Main Avenue in Norwalk.

Owners of these big stores are betting that Connecticut laws will eventually provide for volume discounts at the wholesale tier.

But smaller wine and spirit shop owners worry that this could eventually put them out of business.

"Anytime a newcomer's business enters the market and suddenly begins generating millions of dollars of retail sales in their new store, that's not new business in Connecticut, that's business that was picked up from some other previous store," said Bill Fore, who owns a wine shop in New Preston.

"In any demographic pool, whether it's me in my county or any store in the state, the state has a fairly fixed amount of consumption," he said.

Fore said the giant retailers will certainly corner a big part of the market.

What do you think of the big stores? Sound off below.

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