Even more Beer Stores abruptly closing including two in Toronto

The wave of closures for The Beer Store continues to ripple through Ontario, with another 10 locations set to shut their doors for good on Sept. 14, including two more in Toronto. 

Since May 2024, dozens of Beer Store locations have shuttered their doors, including several stores in the GTA. Affected Toronto stores include those at 636 Greenwood Ave. and 4479 Kingston Rd., which will both be closing their doors this September. 

In June, stores at 761 Queen St. W. and 1270 Woodbine Ave. also closed, joining already-shuttered locations at Yonge and Dundas, Queens Quay, Roncesvalles, and elsewhere across Ontario, including Barry's Bay, Stratford, Cochrane, and Chapleau. 

Other locations scheduled to close in the latest round include cities like Unionville (4681 Hwy. 7), Burlington (2020 Appleby Line), Ottawa (1910 St. Laurent Blvd.), Hamilton (229 Dundurn St. S.), Ridgetown (90 Erie St. S.), Sioux Lookout (41 Front St.), Deep River (33225 Hwy. 17), and Northbrook (12334 Hwy. 41). 

"The retail market for beer is changing in Ontario and for The Beer Store that means making the difficult decision to close some retail locations. This is not an easy decision and not one we make lightly," said Ozzie Ahmed, Vice President Retail, The Beer Store. 

"The Beer Store recognizes the contributions our employees make to the business and in the communities where we operate. All efforts will be made to support employees through this process in alignment with commitments and agreements."

The accelerating pace of closures comes just after the Ontario government rolled out sweeping changes to how alcohol is sold across the province. Under a new deal, The Beer Store is set to maintain at least 386 stores until July 2025, and at least 300 until the end of December 2025, but beyond that, its future remains uncertain. 

Despite the closures, the retailer is continuing to encourage customers to return empty containers to remaining TBS locations or an empty return dealer. Starting Jan. 1, 2026, all grocery stores that sell alcohol will be required to accept empties and issue refunds as part of the consumer retail alcohol modernization program.