The Beer Store is closing more stores across Ontario. Here’s when and where

A Beer Store in downtown Toronto on Thursday, April 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel

The Beer Store has announced it will be closing 11 more locations across Ontario, including two in Toronto.

In a release issued on Tuesday, the retailer said the Toronto stores located at 609 Roehampton Ave. and 1580 Avenue Rd. will shut down by July 6. There are also three more branches closing down in the Greater Toronto Area, including two in Oakville – located at 104 Lakeshore Rd. W. and 1011 Upper Middle Rd.—and one at 13469 Yonge St. in Richmond Hill.

These are the other stores slated for closure on July 6:

• 14800 Yonge St., Aurora
• 6716 Hwy.#35, PO Box 269, Coboconk
• 690 Berford St., PO Box 202, Wiarton
• 790 Goyeau St., Windsor
• 1780 College Ave., Windsor

This is the latest in a series of closure-related announcements that the retailer has made. In April, The Beer Store said four stores would shutter by June 15, including two in Toronto.

Then back in March, the company confirmed five stores across southern and northern Ontario would close down by the end of April. By July 6, a total of about 20 The Beer Store locations will be closed for good.

“The Beer Store is modernizing operations to meet the needs of marketplace—this means making the difficult decision to close some stores. We know this will be disappointing to many customers and our valued employees,” Ozzie Ahmed, Vice President of Retail, said in a release.

It is unclear how many employees will be let go, or if they will be moved to another nearby branch. These closures follow the province’s move to expand alcohol sales to corner stores across Ontario, where legal age residents can purchase ready-made beverages, beer and wine.

Ahmed said the retailer doesn’t make the decision to close its stores “lightly,” adding it is part of The Beer Store’s “ongoing commitment to business sustainability and serving the needs of our customers.”

In a subsequent statement to CTV Toronto, Ahmed said the Beer Store will continue to evaluate its business operations amid the evolving marketplace for beverage alcohol.

“The Beer Store is closely watching our retail stores and making decisions on what makes the most sense for how we operate as a business,” Ahmed said.

Anyone looking to recycle their empty cans can still do so at an empty return dealer or another The Beer Store location, should the one closest to them be closed. The retailer reminds customers that starting Jan. 1, 2026, all grocers selling alcohol will be required to return empties.

CTV News Toronto contacted the retailer for comment about the series of closures but has not heard back.