We’re thirsty-curious.
The first day of alcohol sales at Ontario convenience stores Thursday brought plenty of interested customers, but not everyone was buying — at least not yet.
At Vani’s Convenience in Brampton, owner Manish Takker said customers seemed pleased with the new offerings, but sales weren’t exactly blowing the doors off.
“People are coming in and checking out the selection, and asking what hours we can sell, but we’ve basically got our usual sales so far,” said Takker. “A few people are buying singles or six-packs. It’s only mid-afternoon, so maybe more people will buy after work.”
More than 4,000 convenience stores across the province have been licensed to sell beer, wine, cider and ready-to-drink cocktails such as hard seltzers. Grocery and big-box stores will be able to sell alcohol as of Oct. 31, although roughly 450 are already selling alcohol under terms of the Master Framework Agreement which expires at the end of 2025.
Still, Takker, said, being able to sell alcohol will be a big boost for convenience stores — not just because of the drink sales.
“This business is all about foot traffic. And this is something that will bring new people who’ve probably never been into my store,” said Takker. “This will be a game-changer for a lot of convenience stores.”
Anne Kothawala, president of the Convenience Industry Council of Canada, a trade association representing big chains as well as distributors, said member stores were seeing solid customer traffic on day one.
“Anecdotally, there seems to be some extra foot traffic. I think it’s a ‘hey, let’s see what the local store’s doing,’” Kothawala said. “So far, so good. It’s an exciting day.”
For customer Jay Landon, convenience is key.
“It’s good that a person like myself that’s not an addict can get alcohol if I need it, if I’m having a party or a last minute thing and I wanted to drink, I can buy one,” Landon said at a downtown Toronto corner store.
At King Mini Mart in Liberty Village, owner Mike Velupillai said he expects alcohol sales to bring in $100,000 a year. The extra revenue will help him feed his family, especially at a time when sales of other products have been slumping.
But the new revenue doesn’t come without concerns, including the potential for disruptive late-night customers.
“My store is 24 hours. According to the law, I cannot sell (alcohol) after 11 p.m.,” said Velupillai, who worries that when he locks the coolers, some customers will demand that he open them.
“I don’t know how I’m going to handle it,” Velupillai said.
Ye Tian, owner of Sunshine Wholesome Market, was optimistic alcohol would bring more customers through the door of his west-end store.
“It’s an opportunity to (attract) more business,” said Tian, who said it was still too early to tell just how lucrative the new category would be.
Local brewers and wineries were also celebrating the thousands of new sales outlets for their products. One condition of the new convenience store alcohol licenses is that 20 per cent of beer, cider and ready-to-drink cocktails must be from Ontario producers. For wine, that figure is 40 per cent, including a 10 per cent share for small producers.
“Today’s announcement will allow us to get more local, Ontario-grown wine into the hands of Ontario consumers,” Richard Linley, president of Ontario Craft Wineries, said in a written statement.
Scott Simmons, president of Ontario Craft Brewers, called Thursday “an exciting moment,” and added that the 20 per cent mandate for local beer will help make sure OCB members don’t get lost in the shuffle of big brewery brands.
“This is critical in supporting local producers and making sure they have the opportunity to compete in the new market,” said Simmons. “We encourage everyone who goes to pick up their next beer at their local convenience store to choose local.”
With files from The Canadian Press
