The sale of Beer, Wine and Agency products in Convenience stores in Canada is governed under Provincial jurisdiction in Canada.
The majority of provinces do not allow the sale of alcoholic beverages, the exception being Québec. There are a few locations outside of Québec that do sell these products under special license, for example, some wines produced in certain provinces are allowed to be retailed in specialty Agency stores in malls and grocery stores. In the United States, beer and wine is commonly sold in convenience stores.
The OCSA members are working to form a strong advocate lobby to raise the profile of the issue with the Ontario provincial government, municipalities to secure appropriate legislation to proceed.
The sale of beer and wine in convenience stores is one of the largest traffic drivers to bring people to the store. The OCSA believes restrictions placed on our Members are discriminatory and create an unfair business practice.
This committee is working to educate all members on this topic. We are focusing particularly on Agency stores, and the direction the governments are taking.
