Municipalities will be able to decide whether the gas stations should be allowed to sell beer

The trade organization Virke Servicehandel believes that the municipalities themselves should decide whether to sell it.

– “The grocery market is served by both the grocery industry and the service trade. The challenge is that the two industries are discriminated against in an important area,” says Virke Servicehandel’s manager Iman Winkelman to the Nation.

He points out that small grocery stores today can apply to the municipalities to sell beer. Kiosks and gas stations have State regulations that stand in the way of that opportunity.

On Friday, the government is to submit a report to Parliament on the grocery market. Virke Servicehandel, which organizes kiosks and gas stations, hopes their members will also be able to apply to the municipality for the sale of beer and other low-alcohol items.

– “In many smaller places, the petrol station is in all practical tasks to be considered a convenience store, with a varied selection of groceries and also often service functions, such as in-store mail,” says Winkelman.

He says the retail portion of gas stations is hit hard by the beer ban.

In addition, the ban will be unreasonable, as a number of grocery stores sell fuel without affecting other parts of their business, Winkelman points out.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today