What is a designated manager at a retail food store?

A designated manager is an individual associated with a specific retail food store who must conduct all orders and purchases of wine for that particular retail food store location. Wholesalers are specifically prohibited from taking wine orders from anyone other than the retail food store’s designated manager. The designated manager is tied to the location of the retail food store licensee. In other words, ordering or purchasing wine at the corporate level is specifically prohibited under the WIGS law for retail food store licensees. All orders and purchases must be made by a designated manager associated with a specific retail food store licensee, not the corporate retail food store generally. Please note that a preorder of wine may be made by a person with a pending application for a retail food store license.