A bill to improve how low strength beer and wine can be sold passed its second reading in Parliament overnight.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Display of Low-alcohol Beverages and Other Remedial Matters) Amendment Bill makes minor technical changes to New Zealand's alcohol legislation.

The biggest change is permitting supermarkets and grocery stores to display low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beer and wine in the same area of the store as regular alcohol.

Justice Minister Amy Adams says the changes are common sense.

'Under the wording in the current law, supermarkets and grocery stores that sell low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beer and wine cannot place them in the same area as regular strength alcohol,” she says.

'This was an unintended consequence of a well-intentioned provision in the Act, which aims to limit how much shoppers are exposed to alcohol by restricting such displays and promotions to a single area.”

Amy says low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beer and wine alternatives are becoming a popular option, and enabling them to be displayed alongside regular strength alcohol within a store will help New Zealanders make a thorough decision when purchasing alcohol.