(a) Nothing in this division shall prohibit the issuance, transfer, or renewal of any retail license to any person with respect to premises which are owned by, or operated by or on behalf of, the licensee, notwithstanding that a wholesaler licensed to sell alcoholic beverages in states other than California has an interest, directly or indirectly, in the premises, in the retail license or in the retail licensee, provided that each of the following conditions are met:
(1) The retail licensee shall purchase no alcoholic beverages for sale in this state other than from a California wholesale licensee, and the retail licensee shall purchase no alcoholic beverages from any manufacturer or wholesale licensee holding the ownership of any interest, directly or indirectly, in the premises, in the retail license or in the retail licensee.
(2) Not more than 40 percent of the gross annual revenues of the retailer are derived from the sale of alcoholic beverages.
(b) The Legislature finds that it is necessary and proper to require a separation between manufacturing interests, wholesale interests, and retail interests in the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages in order to prevent suppliers from dominating local markets through vertical integration and to prevent excessive sales of alcoholic beverages produced by overly aggressive marketing techniques. The Legislature further finds that the exception established by this section to the general prohibition against tied interests must be limited to its expressed terms so as not to undermine the general prohibition, and intends that this section be construed accordingly.
(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 412, Sec. 1. Effective September 27, 2008.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018