Two Beer Stores in Oakville set to close

Two long-time Beer Stores in Oakville are closing down.

In the wake of beer now being sold in grocery and convenience stores, the consortium that operates The Beer Store in Ontario has recently announced the closures of several stores across the province and today (May 6), it was Oakville’s turn to learn the fate of two locations.

Effective July 6, stores at 104 Lakeshore Road West at Kerr Street, and Upper Oakville Shopping Plaza at 1011 Upper Middle Road and Eighth Line, will be shutting down.

“The Beer Store is modernizing operations to meet the needs of the marketplace – this means making the difficult decision to close some stores. We know this will be disappointing to many customers and our valued employees,” said Ozzie Ahmed, Vice President of Retail of The Beer Store. “We don’t make this decision lightly; it is part of our ongoing commitment to business sustainability and serving the needs of our customers.”

The Beer Store is operated by several brewers, primarily controlled by three multinational companies: Molson Coors, Labatt (owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev), and Sleeman (owned by Sapporo Breweries). These three companies hold the majority shares, with smaller brewers also owning shares in the company. 

“As the Beer Store changes, some things will remain the same: our commitment to excellent customer service, a great selection of brands and a world-leading empty container return process,” added Ahmed.

Other stores reportedly facing closure on July 6 are ones in Toronto, Windsor, Richmond Hill and Aurora.