Jack Leon exits his local convenience store with a good haul: a bag of barbecue chips, some Tic Tacs, and a lottery ticket — but his last item has him giddy. He’s gripping a pair of colourful Flying Monkey IPAs as he heads off to see his friends.
A month ago, you’d never have seen a Circle K carrying alcohol. Now alongside the milk and soft drinks, you’ll find a variety of beers, wines and cocktail mixes.
Since early September, the Ontario government has rolled out what it calls the “largest expansion of consumer choice and convenience since the end of prohibition.” The booze business is no longer exclusive to The Beer Store and the LCBO or the big grocery chains. Alcohol prices at convenience stores are competitive, only a couple cents higher than at these other establishments.
“It’s just convenient, no pun intended,” said Leon outside the doors of Circle K.
Instead of having to drive to the LCBO, he said he saves more in gas money by taking a walk to the Circle K.
It’s still too early to tell if beer, wine and cocktail mixes have brought in more customers to Ottawa’s local corner stores. But owners are hopeful. In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Preston Food Market owner Dhaval Patel said, “If people come in to buy a beer, they might buy something else.”
At King Confectionary in Carlington, bottles of wine are advertised at the counter alongside all the other snacks.
Leon’s Circle K is on a higher traffic street – Merivale Road – and one cashier says she has definitely noticed a difference. Jaspreet Dhanoa, who works afternoons, said, “the beer is definitely more popular than anything else. And this is a busy area.” She speculates that corner stores tucked away in Ottawa’s neighbourhoods might not see much change.
Some store owners are still on the fence about carrying alcohol.
Super Convenience Mart sits in Greenboro Plaza on Johnston Road. Samia, a clerk who declined to give her last name, said the business is still thinking whether to put alcohol on the shelves, and is waiting to see what happens to licensed corner stores before deciding.
Customer Spencer List was leaving Super Convenience Mart with no beverages in hand. But he said, “I love that convenience stores sell alcohol. Makes things a little easier.”
Capital Current surveyed five corner stores across various Ottawa neighbourhoods, to see if they’d had any difficulties with customers drinking right outside their doors.
None reported any bad customer behaviour.
In total, CTV News Ottawa reports that there are 188 locations in and around Ottawa that have been selling alcohol since Sept. 5.
CTV quoted the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, saying that the majority of these convenience stores and gas stations “already hold a lottery retailer, liquor sales or grocery store licence.”
