Grocers slow to apply for licences

Can, bottle returns and recycling cited as Major reason

- JOSH RUBIN

Convenience stores are snapping up Ontario's new alcohol-retailing licences in droves. Grocery stores? Not so much.

According to official data, fewer than four per cent of the province's 2,000 grocery stores have applied for new licences allowing them to sell beer, wine, cider and ready-todrink cocktails beginning Oct. 31.

Grocery industry insiders say the biggest reason is a requirement that any stores selling alcohol under the new licences also have to accept bottle and can returns for recycling.

"Food safety is the number one concern. They don't want empty beer bottles with cigarette butts being dragged into their stores," said Gary Sands, vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.

Just 53 grocery stores across the province had been issued new alcohol-retailing licences as of July 14 (out of 75 applications), according to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. More than 3,000 convenience stores or roughly 40 per cent of the total had been given licences (out of 3,587 which applied). Convenience stores won't be required to accept empties when their licences come into force Sept. 5.