Exactly one month since the province started letting convenience stores sell alcohol, leading figures in the industry say they would give it “nine out of 10” for success and have found themselves forced to restock almost weekly.
On Sept. 5, the Ford government finally delivered a promise it had made six years earlier, by allowing convenience stores to stock beer, wine and ready-to-drink beverages.
The move saw the government pay the privately-owned Beer Store a quarter of a billion dollars and triggered a weeks-long showdown with the union representing LCBO workers, who feared the change would lead to mass layoffs and closures.
A month after the change came in, however, convenience store owners say they’re delighted with how things have panned out.
“From what I hear, we’ve been ordering three, four times already and it’s only been (a few) weeks. I myself have ordered three, four times because I didn’t expect it to move that fast but everyone’s telling me …