These are the corner stores that are now licensed to sell alcohol in the GTA

Nearly 4,200 convenience stores and hundreds of additional grocery stores are now licenced to sell some alcoholic beverages in Ontario.

The new regulatory rules took effect on Thursday morning and will allow licenced retailers to sell beer, wine, cider and ready to drink alcoholic beverages from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day.

Under the rules, at least 20 per cent of beer, cider and premixed cocktails and 10 per cent of wine on display must come from small Ontario producers.

Spirits, meanwhile, will continue to be exclusively sold by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.

“It has been about 20 some years that we have been working to get beer and wine in the convenience stores. We are one of the few countries not allowed to sell beer and wine and convenience stores have been hurting a lot,” Kenny Shim, the president of the Ontario Convenience Stores Association told CP24 on Thursday morning. “Hopefully the beer and wine will increase foot traffic.”

Roughly 40 per cent of Ontario convenience stores are currently licensed to sell beer and wine, though a number of outlets that spoke with CP24 on Thursday said that there might be some delay in getting product on the shelves due to the need for training and additional equipment.

“I had to get the freezer space ready, also the training for my staff, I have six of them and they had to be trained to handle alcohol and beer. Then I had to get a new fridge that is going to cost me $10,000 and the initial order of beer and wine was another $10,000. So there was a lot of work involved. However, it is here. Today is the day we sell beer,” Shim told CP24.

Here is a closer look at the new retailers licensed to sell some alcoholic beverages as of Sept. 5:

NOTE: Additional retailers could be approved in the future.