Product Placement Requirements

Product Display Requirements

The new law requires persons licensed to sell wine and beer and crossover products for off-premises consumption that display such products outside a clearly discernible location reserved for alcoholic beverages to:

• Not place wine or beer products in an area immediately adjacent to non-alcoholic beverages containing the same or similar brand name, logo, or packaging as an alcoholic beverage
• Equip any such display with signage that indicates the product is an alcoholic beverage, is clearly visible to consumers, and is of sufficient size to notify the consumer that the product contains alcohol.

The law refers to all beverages displayed in a cooler or in a retail space that use terms describing wine, beer, flavored malt beverages (FMBs), and low alcohol and ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages. The law does not prohibit the placement of non-alcoholic wine or beer in or near a display of alcoholic beverages that contain the same or similar brand name, logo, or packaging as the non-alcoholic wine or beer.

What is a crossover product?

This is an alcoholic version of a traditionally non-alcoholic product. Some of these products incorporate the branding from both the non-alcoholic and alcoholic products. Others bear the same or similar imagery of the non-alcoholic product but include various indicators that the product contains alcohol.

Will there be specific sign design requirements such as dimensions, content, or font size or will guidance be broader?

The only requirements are that signage should be obvious, legible, highly visible, clear to consumer, and the consumer should not have to hunt for it.

Will there be a formal approval process for signage?

No, however Virginia ABC is willing to review drafts of signage if requested.

Will Virginia ABC consider who provided/created the sign (retail licensee or wholesaler) for enforcement purposes?

Retail licensees will be responsible for implementation and upholding the new law.

Who do I contact for questions regarding Virginia’s alcohol laws?

Virginia ABC’s Bureau of Law Enforcement has nine regional offices and one satellite office that serve as points of contact for citizens and licensees. Please reach out to your Special Agent or a Virginia ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement Regional Office with questions.