You can soon buy liquor in Vancouver grocery stores, but not right off the shelf

The City of Vancouver has given the green light to selling booze in grocery stores, but don’t expect to grab a bottle of wine off the shelf.

The city has opted for the ‘store-within-a-store’ model, which will allow qualifying grocery stores to sell beer, wine and spirits of all kinds in a physically separated area with its own cashier.

The store-in-store model also requires grocery liquor stores to be at least one kilometre from any other liquor retailer.

WATCH: New liquor laws bring wine to grocery stores

City staff recommended the move last June as a part of a wider package of liquor reforms, and councillors approved the necessary bylaw changes in a public hearing Tuesday night.

A media release from the city says specific policies and guidelines related to grocery store liquor sales will be brought to council in early May. It said qualifying stores could apply to sell liquor as early as May 14, if the policies are approved.

READ MORE: B.C. liquor regulations ‘discriminate’ against U.S. wines: trade representative

The province changed regulations in 2015 to allow the sale of liquor in grocery stores under two models: wine-on-shelf, or store-in-store.

There are about a dozen communities in B.C. offering wine-on-shelf, which limits the sale to B.C. made product but allows customers to take their bottles through the store’s regular checkout.

Director of wines with Overwaitea Food Group Steve Moriarty told Global News that is the model that makes sense, and that Overwaitea brands aren’t interested what the city is proposing.

“I don’t know if there is any disadvantage, but when we ask customers, they overwhelmingly support the sale of B.C. wine. I’m not sure there a real desire or demand at this time for the consumer to have a full blown liquor store within a store at this time.”

WATCH: BC wine now in select grocery stores around the province

Metro Vancouver, Surrey, North Vancouver, Langley, Maple Ridge, Tsawwassen, and White Rock offer the wine-on-shelf model.

In its June report to council, city staff outlined concerns about public health risks associated with making access to alcohol easier, and said the private liquor sale industry preferred the store-in-store model, even though consumers prefer the wine-on-shelf model.