How long does it take to sell alcohol in South Australia? Years.

One of the world's biggest retailers, Costco, is still waiting on a verdict from the South Australian courts on whether it can sell alcohol at its Adelaide store.

Costco sells the 2008 Penfolds Grange in some of its stores across the country. Credit:Justin McManus

In 2014, the country's biggest retailer, Woolworths, teamed up with the Australian Hotels Association to object successfully to Costco's bid for a special circumstances licence in South Australia.

The state's licensing court concluded that Costco's model for liquor retailing was not compatible with South Australian requirements and granting the big-box retailer a licence would risk setting an undesirable precedent.