Utah law clears the way for shoppers to include beer in grocery pickup orders

Grocery Dive reported the development on 2025-03-26. The revision to the state’s liquor bill builds on a growing trend of states easing up on alcohol-sale restrictions.

The report places the news in a wider commercial context. Buying beer from the grocery store in Utah just got easier as the state joins the growing trend of grocers and legislators finding ways to expand alcohol sales.

For the food sector, the practical implications extend beyond the immediate announcement. On Monday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed the bill into law. The updated bill, which takes effect May 7, will allow shoppers to include beer in their online pickup orders and have the alcohol brought out to their cars with their other grocery items. Under current law, shoppers are required to go into the store to purchase alcoholic beverages.

Attention now turns to how companies, customers and regulators respond. Utah grocers should be aware, however, that to legally supply their parked shoppers with beer, the customer must purchase ahead of time and park in the “designated parking stall,” per the bill. The change in Utah comes as states generally have relaxed alcohol laws in recent years to allow grocers to sell more types of alcoholic beverages.