Ontario Adding Beer and Cider to 95 More Grocery Stores
Ontario is adding beer and cider to 95 more grocery stores, improving convenience and choice for people across the province.Starting today, grocers can bid online for an additional 95 authorizations to sell beer and cider. Authorized grocery locations will be announced next year, with sales expected to start in April 2018.
This would bring the total to more than 300 grocery stores that would be authorized to sell beer and cider. Additional opportunities for grocers to bid for the sale of wine, along with beer and cider, are still to be announced.
As part of Ontario's strong commitment to social responsibility, grocery stores that sell wine, beer or cider must meet Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario requirements. By law, in addition to having designated sales areas and standardized hours, they must comply with rules for package size, alcohol content and staff training.
"We’re expanding beer, cider and wine sales in Ontario. Small producers are benefiting from greater exposure in the marketplace, while consumers are enjoying more choice and convenience. By working together, we’re enabling opportunity for local businesses and communities to experience more craft and VQA products."
— Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance
Giving consumers more choice and convenience, while creating a more dynamic and competitive business environment for beer and cider producers, is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.
QUICK FACTS
- Grocers are invited to register via Biddingo to submit their bid to the LCBO under request for bid # 2017-002 by 10:00:59 am Eastern Standard Time on November 6, 2017.
- Once successful bidders receive an authorization from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, they will then be permitted to obtain beer and cider from the LCBO for resale at their authorized grocery store locations.
- Currently more than 200 grocery stores across Ontario are authorized to sell beer and cider, 70 of which can also sell wine.
- Ultimately, beer and cider will be available in up to 450 grocery stores, including up to 300 that will also sell wine. This is in addition to more than 450 Beer Stores and 660 LCBO stores across Ontario.
- Allowing beer, cider and wine in grocery stores across the province follows the final recommendations made by the Premier’s Advisory Council on Government Assets.
- Changes to beverage alcohol retailing in Ontario include the sale of beer in grocery stores, the sale of cider in grocery stores, online shopping at LCBO.com and the sale of wine in grocery stores.
- Find a list of grocery stores that sell wine, beer or cider in your area
- How the bidding process works
- Striking the Right Balance: Modernizing Wine and Spirits Retailing and Distribution in Ontario
- Provincial Supports Encourage Responsible Consumption of Alcohol
- Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario authorization process
