TORONTO, ON – The LCBO has announced that bidding has opened for the next wave of 80 licenses to sell beer and cider in grocery stores in Ontario.
As per the announcement:
The LCBO Request for Bids initiates a competitive process to select which grocers will be able to purchase beer and cider from the LCBO for resale to the public. This will be an open, fair and transparent process through which eligible grocery retailers will bid on the financial terms on which they will purchase beer and cider from the LCBO. Successful bidders will then apply to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for an authorization(s) to sell beer and cider.
Beer sales in Ontario grocery stores started in December 2015 with 60 licensed locations. This number has since risen to 130 outlets, with cider sales added last year.
Stores selected in the new call for bids are expected to be approved by the end of June 2017.
For more details, see the full LCBO announcement.