Hasty Market to take a phased approach to beverage alcohol
To start, Hasty Market will offer beer and wine in about 80 of its 130 stores across Ontario on Sept. 5.
“We will take a phased approach for the remaining locations,” says Marietta Cini, vice-president of operations and development for Hasty Market Corp., which is based in Burlington, Ont.
She says the province’s decision to allow for the sale of alcohol in c-stores is an important development for the evolution of the Hasty brand, including its recently debuted “The Market” neighbourhood concept store.
“Traditional drivers to convenience stores, such as lottery and tobacco, have seen a decline in sales,” says Cini. “To address this, we have repositioned the brand as a destination for takeaway foods, with in-house brands like Glow Submarines and Market Fresh. Beer and wine will complement this repositioning. We believe that introducing beer and wine will drive traffic to our stores and enhance our evolved offerings.”
Hasty’s store support team, alongside its licensees and franchisees, “has worked diligently to prepare for this introduction,” she adds. “Many locations have undergone renovations to accommodate the new merchandising space. With the addition of HMR and now beer and wine, our store formats and sizes have evolved beyond traditional marketplace standards. It's an exciting time in the industry—there’s a lot of innovation happening.”
“The Market” banner debuted in April with a 5,000 sq-ft. store in Hamilton, Ont. at 165 James St. South, and Hasty announced it recently signed a new franchise agreement, adding to the two new franchise agreements announced earlier this year. The plan is to open five more Market stores in 2025. “Adding beer and wine in our Market locations further solidifies our position as Ontario’s convenient grocer, offering a comprehensive one-stop shop for consumers,” says Cini.
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As for the beer and wine brands that will be on shelves, “stores will maintain a consistent standard mix of products, but operators can tailor selections to local demand,” she says. All store staff have completed the required responsible alcohol training program, with Cini adding, “the government has been a great partner in addressing our questions and supporting the rollout.”
