CLOSURE: 5 additional Beer Stores are closing in Ontario

Another Beer Store is set to close, bringing the number of shutdowns across Ontario to five by the end of April.

The store at 514 Adelaide St. in London, Ont., will close on April 27. It will be the second closure in the city this year and is part of a broader trend affecting Beer Store locations across the province.

According to a recent news release, John Nock, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 12R24, said at least 28 stores have shuttered since May 2024.

These closures reportedly happened after the Ontario government expanded beer, wine and ready-to-drink cocktail sales to grocery and convenience stores.

The latest round of closures includes locations in Kitchener, Erin, Hearst and Corunna.

Nock added that the closures raise concerns about long-term job security, potential price increases and the future of alcohol sales in the province.

While employees affected so far have been reassigned to other locations, ongoing shutdowns could make that increasingly difficult.

There are also questions about Ontario’s Deposit Return Program, which requires retailers selling beer to accept empty containers for recycling. Under current rules, stores within five kilometres of a Beer Store must continue to do so until Jan. 1, 2026, though some retailers have pushed back against the requirement.

With at least 300 Beer Store locations required to remain open until the end of 2025, uncertainty remains over what will happen after that.

If more closures follow, consumers may face fewer return options and rising prices as the beer market shifts further toward independent retailers.