Beer Store

Brewers Retail Inc.

The Beer Store logo
Trading name	The Beer Store
Type	Joint venture
Industry	Beer distribution Beer retail sales
Founded	1927; 90 years ago (1927)
Headquarters	Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Number of locations	450 retail stores (2016)
Area served	Ontario
Key people	Ted Moroz (President)
Services	Distribution and sale of beer
Owners	Sleeman Breweries Labatt Brewing Company Molson Coors Brewing Company
Number of employees	7356 (2010)
Website	thebeerstore.ca

Brewers Retail Inc. (doing business as The Beer Store), is a Canadian privately owned chain of retail outlets selling beer and other malt beverages in the province of Ontario, Canada, founded in 1927. Owned at its inception by a consortium of Ontario-based brewers, it currently operates as a unique open retail and wholesale system jointly owned by 30 Ontario-based brewers. Under this ownership model, all qualified brewers are free to list their products without discrimination and set their own selling prices. These prices are subject only to basic LCBO price approval which must comply with legislated minimum and uniform pricing requirements.

Under Ontario's Liquor Control Act, The Beer Store was formerly the only retailer permitted to sell beer for off-site consumption, besides stores on the site of a brewery, locations of the provincial government-owned Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), and LCBO-authorized agency stores in certain smaller communities. The act and the company's articles of incorporation further stipulate that Brewers Retail cannot sell "hard liquor" (spirits), or consumer goods (like groceries).

Amendments made to the Liquor Control Act have since allowed for the sale of single and 6 packs of beer at select supermarkets in Ontario. This was done with the goal of enhancing customer access and convenience. The Beer Store however continues to maintain pricing exclusivity in providing consumers discounts on larger packs of beer along with retail partners, agency stores, combination stores and manufacturer outlets. What distinguishes the Beer Store however is its characterization as a sort of “beer commons”. A 2013 Angus Reid survey commissioned by the Ontario Convenience Stores Association found that 13% of Ontario residents were aware that "The Beer Store monopoly is not a government-owned enterprise".

The Beer Store follows an open ownership model whereby any qualifying brewer is allowed the opportunity to become a Beer Store shareholder. Currently, the Beer Store is owned by a consortium of 30 Ontario based brewers. In order to qualify, the brewer must operate at least one facility in Ontario, conduct the full brewing process and sell beer through the corporation. Valid Ontario and Canadian manufacturing licenses are required and the brewer must not produce beer in any other jurisdiction, or else meet minimum annual capacity and production goals.