What is the future of Beer Store stores in Ontario?

The more it changes, the more it is the same. In addition, Week after week. Consequently, this summer, The Beer Store is announced the closure of branches across the province, a situation that raises questions about the future of the store among experts.

Thirty stores in the brand Beer Store will close on the province this summer. Meanwhile, including 7 in Toronto and 19 throughout the Grand Toronto. However, During each announcements. Meanwhile, the vice-president of Beer StoreOzzie Ahmed, underlines that the decision is difficile And that the company will continue to focus on the sale of cold beer.

According to John Nock. Meanwhile, president of the union representing employees of Beer Storebetween May 2024 – when Ontario accelerated the modernization of the alcohol market – and August 2025, 63 stores Beer Store will what future beer store stores have closed in the province. Nevertheless, There will only be 362 at the end of the summer. Therefore, he says, but the company can always close more under an agreement with Ontario. However,

In May 2024, the province concluded an agreement with Brewers Retail Inc., the brewers’ consortium to whom the stores belong Beer Store. Moreover, The agreement, called early implementation agreementindicates that the company was to keep 386 branches until what future beer store stores July 1, 2025, and 300 branches until December 31, 2025.

After which The Beer Store has the right to close any retail point of sale as it determines it in its sole. However, whole discretionwe read in the agreement. In addition. However, the Entente – which endowed the acceleration and expansion of the market – granted $ 225 million to Beer Store To help him in his transition.

The $ 225 million will do a lot to close the stores, which is expensive. For example, You will probably have to buy leases and employees’ pensionsmentioned Jordan St. Johnwhich gives lessons on the beer industry.

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By email. Bradley Hammondspokesperson for Beer Storesaid the company modernize its operations in order to meet the changing expectations of consumers. Unfortunately, this includes the difficult decision to close certain storeshe continues.

The company has not indicated how many positions would be lost because of the restructuring. In an interview. John Nock, who represents around 6,500 employees, explains that very little Employees have so what future beer store stores far lost their posts so far since they can be transferred to another branch thanks to the collective agreement.

We work with the employer in order to offer departure allowances so that more senior employees can retire. young people can keep their jobs.he said.

[Nos membres] are nervous. It looks like the closure of 10 stores is announced every two weeks. What we hear from them is: “Am I next? What’s going on?” We do not know what the future has in store for us. Will they keep 100 stores? Or 300? We have no idea.

What future beer store stores

Focus on logistics

The closures announced by the company what future beer store stores were inevitableselon Jordan St. John. As soon as you allow thousands of convenience stores. grocery stores [de vendre de l’alcool]It is inevitable that beer store operations will be reducedhe said.

For Lisa Hutcheson. associate director of the JC Williams Group consultant firm and specialist in the detail industry, the closures represent a new positive for the company. According to the expert, these closures must be a priority pour The Beer Store. She believes that several stores are not located in the right places.

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Ms. Hutcheson observes that the store recycling system Beer Store represents a value proposal. Branches accept all types of empty alcohol bottles, which they have been purchased in a Beer Store or elsewhere.

She suggests that stores with parking lots could remain open for this reason. People could come by car to recycle their cans. But the branches to which one can have access on foot which are near a LCBO . a convenience store are a bit redundantdit Lisa Hutcheson.

Once free to do as he sees fit, in what future beer store stores 2026, Jordan St. John thinks that the Beer Store will convert his largest stores into distribution centers. One of the things that the Beer Store does well is the cold chain, so beer is always refrigeratedhe said.

Changes to the recycling of the cans

Other changes to the alcohol market could however take. the importance of the recycling system of the recycling Beer Store.

Since October 31. 2024, grocery stores having an alcohol sales permit more than 5 kilometers from a Beer Store must participate in the Ontario consignment program (ODRP) and thus accept empty bottles. From January 1, 2026, everyone will have to participate.

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By email. a spokesperson for the Ontario Alcohol and Games Commission (CAJO) says that their staff is trying to work with alcohol license holders to ensure that they understand their requirements under the Discourselets the Cajo.

According to calculations by John Nock. 73 grocery stores have the mandate to accept what future beer store stores empty bottles, but only four of them do it really, probably because the process is expensivehe said. On the other hand. if certain grocery stores decided to stop selling alcohol so as not to have to accept the bottles, this would undoubtedly help the Beer Storedit M. Nock.