I was puzzled when I was in Chicago area and went to a Target to get some groceries and some beer. I couldn't find any beer, and an employee told me they didn't carry any alcohol in that particular store. There was another Target on the other side of the town, and that other one did sell beer.
Still no idea why one Target would sell beer, but another one would not.
Beer and wine are sold at regular stores here. Just not spirits.
I would assume that, like Alabama, if the store is too close to a church or school, they can't sell beer or wine; however, a store of the same type or name could be two roads over and be able to sell it. Other than that, I don't know.
I grew up in the last and largest dry spot in the US. There were six counties all right together that held out from passing laws allowing the sale or use of alcohol from Prohibition. 18 was the drinking age, but you couldn't buy it anywhere, and you couldn't transport it, or actually drink it in the dry counties. Catch 22. I have many, many bootlegger stories that I could tell. The County Sheriffs ran the bootlegging in their counties, and the Sheriff picked the County seats. And, to be Sheriff, you had to be a Baptist minister. The churches kept legit alcohol sales out of these areas, and the Sheriffs profited from illegal sales, and they were always the same person. It was this way up until the early 90's. Everyone knew this, talked about it.... but, not too loud.
