The drip, drip of Beer Store closures continues in Ontario, with the retailer announcing that a handful of new locations are set to close in November, citing the effect of more liberal alcohol sales on its bottom line.
The latest announcement will see seven more Beer Stores close on Nov. 16, 2025, in places like Barrie, Brampton and South River.
The new closures are part of a stream of regular announcements which stretch back to last year, when the Ford government paid the Beer Store $225 million to allow corner, convenience and big box stores to sell beer, wine and ready-to-mix drinks.
The trickle of closures has slowly grown to a flood this year, with new locations confirmed every few weeks through the summer.
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When the latest seven stores cease operating, a total of 120 Beer Stores will have closed since the move to make some alcohol more readily available across the province.
“The Beer Store intends (to) fulfil its commitment to the Province of Ontario under the Early Implementation Agreement to keep at least 300 stores open until Dec. 31, 2025,” a spokesperson previously told Global News.
The Beer Store has promised to keep 300 stores open until the end of the year, meaning it can announce 18 more closures before 2026.
Next year, there will be no limits on how many locations it can shutter.
“To meet the needs of an evolving retail market, The Beer Store is making the difficult decision to close retail locations, the company said of the latest closures.
“We know this is difficult news for consumers, recyclers, and our employees.”
The Beer Store is owned by Sleeman, Molson and Labatt.
The locations that will close on Nov. 16 are:
- Alexandria — 118 Main St. N., Alexandria, Ont., K0C 1A0
- Barrie — 299 Blake St., Barrie, Ont., L4M 1K7
- Brampton — 374 Main St. N., Brampton, Ont., L6V 1P8
- Beaverton — 553 Mara Rd., Beaverton, Ont., L0K 1A0
- Cornwall — 960 Brookdale Ave., Unit 7, Cornwall, Ont., K6J 4P5
- Gananoque — 580 King St. E., Gananoque, Ont., K7G 1H2
- South River — 310 Hwy. #124, PO Box 160, South River, Ont., P0A 1X0
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