Booze rollout 'saved a lot of stores from closing,' chair of Ontario Convenience Store Association says
It’s been a little over two months since corner stores around the province began stocking booze on their shelves and the chair of the Ontario Convenience Store Association says the new alcoholic offerings have been a lifeline for many businesses in the province.
“Overall, it seems to be going great,” Terry Yaldo, OCSA chair, told CP24.com on Monday.
“A lot of store owners are happy to see the new foot traffic and at the end of the day, we believe that saved a lot of stores from closing because a lot of people were kind of just hanging in by a thread and trying to make ends meet.”
As of Sept. 5, licensed convenience stores across the province were given permission to sell beer, wine, and ready-to-drink beverages as part of the Ford government’s plan to expand Ontario’s alcohol retail marketplace. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is the exclusive wholesaler to convenience stores around the province.
As of Nov. 14, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) says 4,792 convenience stores have been issued a licence to sell alcohol.
Valdo said the rollout has had some “hiccups” along the way, particularly around keeping certain items in stock.
“I think one of the biggest issues, it’s slowly getting better, is the ready-to-drink (beverages),” Valdo said, adding that items like White Claw and Twisted Tea are in high demand.
“A lot of those items, to get restocked, the turnaround time was a little longer than we were hoping, so a lot of stores were out of stock or are out of stock. That’s just going to take time.”
While some grocery stores who acquired licences to sell alcohol have since opted out of selling booze, citing concerns about theft and low profit margins, Valdo said the circumstances are somewhat different for convenience stores.
“To have this new category, and for our industry foot traffic is very important, so to get people in the door, it really helps,” he said.
He noted that issues around theft are not as much of a concern for convenience stores.
“In a convenience store, most of our stores are smaller, so we can see pretty much the whole floor space. So that helps control theft and security issues,” Valdo added.
The most popular item in the category so far, he said, is beer.
“Ready-to-drink, over the years, has been increasing their market share and it’s a nice little draw for us, especially the younger demographics,” he said.
He said for the most part, stores are seeing a bump in revenue thanks to alcohol sales.
“We could see… it was trending in the wrong direction and now it’s kind of slowly trending back up. So that’s very positive,” he said.
“It’s not going to be something that will happen overnight. It’s going to be a gradual change, especially as consumers get used to it, people know what we have. We’re still learning the products too.”
Valdo said he is optimistic that some of the distribution issues will work themselves out in the future.
“I just want people to be patient when they go to their retailers or their local stores and understand if there’s something out of stock, we’re all learning here,” he said.
“Give us time. Once the dust does settle, we want you to be an ongoing consumer.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
5 rescued after avalanche triggered north of Whistler, B.C. RCMP say
Emergency crews and heli-skiing staff helped rescue five people who were caught up in a backcountry avalanche north of Whistler, B.C., on Monday morning.
Quebec fugitive killed in Mexican resort town, RCMP say
RCMP are confirming that a fugitive, Mathieu Belanger, wanted by Quebec provincial police has died in Mexico, in what local media are calling a murder.
Bill Clinton hospitalized with a fever but in good spirits, spokesperson says
Former President Bill Clinton was admitted Monday to Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington after developing a fever.
Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal
First it was Canada, then the Panama Canal. Now, Donald Trump again wants Greenland. The president-elect is renewing unsuccessful calls he made during his first term for the U.S. to buy Greenland from Denmark, adding to the list of allied countries with which he's picking fights even before taking office.
UN investigative team says Syria's new authorities 'very receptive' to probe of Assad war crimes
The U.N. organization assisting in investigating the most serious crimes in Syria said Monday the country’s new authorities were “very receptive” to its request for cooperation during a just-concluded visit to Damascus, and it is preparing to deploy.
Pioneering Métis human rights advocate Muriel Stanley Venne dies at 87
Muriel Stanley Venne, a trail-blazing Métis woman known for her Indigenous rights advocacy, has died at 87.
King Charles ends royal warrants for Ben & Jerry's owner Unilever and Cadbury chocolatiers
King Charles III has ended royal warrants for Cadbury and Unilever, which owns brands including Marmite and Ben & Jerry’s, in a blow to the household names.
Man faces murder charges in death of woman who was lit on fire in New York City subway
A man is facing murder charges in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames, police said Monday.
Canada regulator sues Rogers for alleged misleading claims about data offering
Canada's antitrust regulator said on Monday it was suing Rogers Communications Inc, for allegedly misleading consumers about offering unlimited data under some phone plans.