WATCH: BC grocery stores will be able to sell booze by next April and as Catherine Urquhart reports, the differences between private and government liquor stores will start to disappear.
VICTORIA, B.C. – The B.C. government has announced that on April 1, 2015 grocery stores will be allowed to sell liquor through the store-within-a-store model. As of that day, BC Liquor stores will also be allowed to start extending their hours, opening on Sundays and offering refrigeration.
“Underpinning many of our liquor changes – including our models for liquor in grocery stores and wholesale pricing – is the concept that government needs to get out of the way and leave more to market forces,” says Suzanne Anton, Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
The province is also eliminating liquor discounts as of that day, meaning all retailers, including Liquor Distribution Branch stores, will buy alcohol at the same wholesale price.
“It is the strong ties we have to our community and our customers’ loyalty that has helped our industry grow. Now, government is building on that support, reducing the mark-up for some of our products and eliminating barriers to growth – this will hopefully lead to further benefits for our loyal customers and B.C. craft breweries,” says Michael Tod, partner and director of sales, Parallel 49 Brewing Company.
The rules around the relocation of liquor licenses – known as the “five kilometer rule” – will also be lifted on April 1.
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