Beverage Alcohol

As the Ontario government prepares to move ahead with its plans to overhaul the province's 92-year-old beer distribution system, experts say it should heed lessons from retail sales systems in other provinces.

The new locations will be called LCBO Convenience Outlets.

Brewers who own The Beer Store are fighting to hang onto a near monopoly afforded them under a 10-year agreement with the previous Liberal government.

Ontario plans to rip up an agreement with The Beer Store in order to allow the sale of beer and wine in corner stores, but the retailer has already signalled it will fight the move in the courts.

Ontario's finance minister says the province will be moving ahead with an expansion of beer and wine sales into corner stores, big box stores and more grocery stores, promising the move will cut prices and prevent any potential privatization of the LCBO.

Find out how the OCSA will represent your business when it comes to beer and wine negotiations with the new Ontario government.

The provincial government has opened up bidding for grocery stores looking to get in on sales of suds, and will announce the selected locations in May.

Tom Moher, vice-president of operations in central Canada for Mac’s Convenience Stores, sits down to talk to us about the future of beer and wine in Ontario c-stores.