As you may know, the Government of Ontario has announced further details and timelines regarding its plans to expand the beverage alcohol marketplace.
As a currently licensed grocery store, this means that some of the terms and conditions of your Wholesale Supply Agreement will need to be updated to reflect the regulatory and policy changes. We will be in contact in the coming weeks to formalize these changes.
In the meantime, we encourage you to read all the regulations (General, Licencing, and Pricing linked to in the government’s press release) which highlight key changes to:
• An expanded product assortment
• Shelf space requirements
• Wholesale pricing
• Competitive pricing
• Efficient recycling
We are committed to helping you navigate the phased approach to a more open and competitive marketplace. Please continue to refer to the Grocery information Site for information.
Next steps
• If you are considering additional licences, we encourage you to attend the AGCO and LCBO information session on June 11, in
advance of the AGCO application date of June 17 – register here to attend. For your reference only, a new Grocery and Convenience
Store page has been created on the Doing Business with LCBO website for new entrants to the market.
• We will share your expanded catalogue in July so you can start ordering from July 18 to start selling on or after August 1, 2024.
How LCBO is preparing for marketplace changes
LCBO is taking steps to establish the foundation for this new marketplace. This includes ensuring that the right people, support, and systems are in place to service new and existing customers. A new interim Grocery & Convenience team led by Leanne Rhee, who is currently the Director of Grocery Operations, will help onboard new customers, facilitate orders, and provide day-to-day support. The Grocery Operations team, led in the interim by Archie Karanxha, who is currently the Director of Commercial Services, Director, will continue to serve existing grocery customers.
Please share this communication with your colleagues as required.
Contact us at lcbogroceryoperations@lcbo.com with any questions.
Thank you.
Your LCBO Grocery Operations team