After September 5, all eligible Circle Ks and other convenience stores in Muskoka will start selling wine, beer, cider, and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages.
Eligible stores that have received licences from the Province must readily have them on display. According to one franchisee, all staff selling the products must also have their Smart Serve.
During the LCBO strike in July, the Province announced it was stepping up its first phase of the plan to expand the sale of alcohol to grocery, convenience and big-box stores by allowing the 450 grocery stores that were already licensed to sell ready-to-drink beverages and large beer pack sizes starting Thursday, July 18, 2024 rather than August 1, 2024.
The rest of their planned timeline is as follows:
- After September 5, 2024, all eligible convenience stores will be able to sell beer, cider, wine, and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages.
- After October 31, 2024, all eligible grocery and big-box stores will be able to sell beer, cider, wine, and ready-to-drink beverages, including in large pack sizes.
Merchants in Muskoka have already started preparing for September 6. They’ve already begun clearing room in their fridges, which remain covered for now. They are getting their staff Smart Serve prepared. They’ll be allowed to sell alcohol from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., after which time the coolers must be covered.
Many are hoping the sale of alcohol will bring more traffic to their stores.
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