The Beer Store is closing its location in the Glebe this summer, the third store set to close in Ottawa this year. The Beer Store announced Tuesday that nine more outlets will close across the province on July 20, including the location at 900 Bank Street near Holmwood Avenue. “The Beer Store is making the difficult decision to close these locations. We will continue our focus on sustainability and recycling as we modernize operations in a changing marketplace,” Ozzie Ahmed, vice president of retail at The Beer Store, said in a statement. “I understand this will be disappointing news to customers and employees. The Beer Store is committed to treating employees with respect and supporting them during this transition.” The other locations closing are in Ajax, Azilda, Levack, Markham, Milton and Toronto. The Beer Store location at 2144 Carling Avenue, across the street from the Carlingwood Mall, is set to close on June 15. In February, the retailer announced its locations on North Side Road in Bells Corners and a location in Kingston was closing. The decision to close Beer Store outlets comes after Ontario expanded beer and alcohol sales to big box stores, corner stores and gas stations last year. The Beer Store employs 6,500 workers across Ontario. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union told CTV News Ottawa that the Beer Store is allowed to go down to 300 stores by the end of this year under an early implementation agreement.
