Looking back at at year of change for Canada’s convenience stores
As we approach the end of the year, the work of the Canadian convenience industry is far from over. For the almost 22,000 stores across the country, the challenges we face don’t take a holiday. From navigating new beverage alcohol opportunities to addressing the still growing threats of contraband products and potential vaping bans, this year has been about resilience, collaboration, and unwavering advocacy and support of the industry.
Convenience Industry Council of Canada’s (CICC) efforts have spanned coast to coast, ensuring that the unique voice of the convenience industry is heard in government offices, boardrooms, and media headlines. While our members see us tackling big-ticket issues like contraband tobacco and beverage alcohol, these initiatives represent more than these specific product groups and isolated campaigns. They’re part of a broader strategy to safeguard the viability of your businesses and the channel’s vital role in Canadian communities.
Take contraband tobacco as an example. Ontario remains at the heart of this problem, where the $1.3 billion contraband market is funding organized crime, undermining legitimate businesses, and robbing governments of essential tax revenues. Our advocacy efforts have led to meaningful discussions with government partners, including recent meetings in Alberta that show promising momentum toward addressing this growing issue, including potential increased resources to combat the problem in their 2025 Budget.
We’ve amplified these conversations with our recent EY Report on contraband showing compelling data, regional insights, and practical recommendations.
The long talked about proposed federal flavoured vape ban for c-stores looms heavy and underscores why persistent advocacy is essential. CICC fully supports protecting youth, however this government, as we have seen with nicotine pouches, doesn’t make evidence-based decisions. For several years, we’ve participated in every consultation, advocating for balanced solutions that don’t take smoking alternative products out of our responsible retailers’ sites, where many smokers gravitate to purchasing these types of products. When governments unilaterally place restrictions on the products that we can sell, without evidence, it impacts the viability of the convenience channel. That is why we will continue to fight for our entire channel.
Meanwhile, the expansion of beverage alcohol into Ontario convenience stores has been a milestone for our industry. But with new opportunities come complex questions on pricing, distribution, and compliance. Our team has been actively engaged with Ontario officials conducting an Alcohol Review and collaborating with key stakeholders to resolve issues like product delivery safety and compliance inconsistencies.
The work doesn’t stop there. In the past month alone, we’ve engaged governments across the country, advocating for clarity on the two-month GST/HST Holiday, addressing the removal of New Brunswick’s Carbon Adjuster, which would have has a negative impact on convenience and gas retailers, and preparing to engage new leadership in British Columbia and Saskatchewan post-election. Whether the conversation is about vaping in Quebec, contraband tobacco in Nova Scotia, or beverage alcohol in Ontario, the ripple effects of our work are felt across the convenience sector.
This year has demonstrated the power of a unified industry voice—one that speaks not just to government but also for the millions of Canadians who rely on us every day. As the national voice for Canada’s convenience stores, we’re proud to champion issues that matter to our members and the communities they serve.
As we enter the final stretch of 2024, the challenges ahead are clear. But so, too, is our commitment to addressing them head-on. Together, we’ll continue to advance the priorities that matter most, ensuring that convenience stores remain indispensable fixtures in Canadian communities.
