The Beer Store Adapts to Changing Ontario Marketplace
The Beer Store is adapting to Ontario’s changing beverage alcohol marketplace through several partnerships and investments aimed to bring new offerings to customers.
Some of those offerings include extending its distribution fleet and operations to support new grocery and convenience store customers coming on board.
In May, the Ontario government announced that licensed convenience stores would be able to sell beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink cocktails as of Sept. 5, with eligible grocery and big-box stores being able to do so Oct. 31. (P2PI sister publication Convenience Store News Canada has a timeline and synopsis.) In June, the Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), the regulator that issues licenses to sell beverage alcohol, began taking applications for retail licenses from convenience and grocery stores. The AGCO has been working with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), the exclusive wholesaler of beverage alcohol to all grocery and convenience stores across the province, to bring retailers up to speed on eligibility requirements, the application process, and legal requirements for selling beverage alcohol.
The Beer Store is owned by 30 Ontario-based brewers and bills itself as the leading retailer and distribution channel of beer in the province.
Currently, The Beer Store supports approximately 4,000 convenience customers who are coming online. It’s estimated that 10,000 new points of sale will be added throughout Ontario in the coming months. In response, retailer-distributor is accelerating the availability of large format packs in grocery stores, and plans to continue supporting the transformation throughout the fall.
Customers also can shop Beer Store locations for convenience items including snacks and energy drinks, including products from Old Dutch, Frito-Lay, Link Snacks, Great Canadian Meat and Red Bull. (Items also are available for online ordering.)
The Beer Store is also launching a new campaign that showcases its commitment to the customers of Ontario, focusing on selection, swift service and a commitment to the environment via a bottle return program.
“Bring it on – we’re ready,” said Roy Benin, president of The Beer Store, in a statement. “We see this as a new chapter for The Beer Store and we’re excited to compete.”
The Beer Store also announced more than 100 million Canadian dollars’ worth of investments on several projects, including:
Store renovations at select locations, designed to enhance the shopping experience,
A new state-of-the-art distribution center in Bolton, Ontario,
Online sales and delivery,
Third-party delivery partnerships with several platforms, including Canada’s Skip the Dishes, and
Upgrades to point-of-sale technology.