Latest news with #OzzieAhmed
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Beer Store announces 10 additional locations set to close this summer
A patron returns beer cans at a Beer Store location in Toronto. Photo by FILES / POSTMEDIA NETWORK The Beer Store has announced a 10-pack of additional locations will shut down in Ontario this summer, bringing to 35 the total number of store closures expected over the coming weeks. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'We made the difficult decision to close these retail locations. We will continue our focus on what we do best: Ice-cold beer, great customer service and a world-class recycling program that last year returned more containers than we sold,' said Ozzie Ahmed, vice-president of retail at The Beer Store. 'Modernizing operations in a changing marketplace is never easy. We know this will be difficult news for customers and employees.' The latest closures will come into effect Aug. 10 and coincide with an expanded alcohol marketplace in Ontario. In 2024, thousands of convenience and grocery stores were permitted to start selling booze, except for spirits, expanding Ontario's alcohol market beyond The Beer Store and the LCBO — the two main stores where consumers previously could purchase booze. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Following the province's new alcohol sales initiative, The Beer Store announced the closure of nine locations across the province. In March, five more closures were announced. Then in May, The Beer Store said it would close 11 additional stores in Ontario, including two in Toronto. The Beer Store employs 6,500 people in the province with full- and part-time jobs. The company has not said how many jobs will be lost with the closures. Included in Monday's announced closures were six GTA locations, as well as stores in Cambridge, Amherstview, Tottenham and Iroquois Falls. The Beer Store encourages customers to continue returning the nearly 1.6 billion alcohol containers it processes annually to a local store or an empty return dealer, adding all grocery stores that sell alcohol will be required to return empties starting Jan. 1, 2026. However, a Canadian Press report late last month said few Ontario grocery stores that are required to accept empty alcohol containers are doing so, leaving the future of the deposit return program in question. About 70 grocery stores — ones that are more than 5 km away from a Beer Store — have been required to take empties since last fall. But only 13 are complying, according to the Ministry of Finance. Read More Toronto Blue Jays Olympics Columnists Canada Sunshine Girls
CTV News
4 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
The Beer Store closes locations in Simcoe County and York Region
An exterior of a typical location of The Beer Store (Source: The Beer Store) The Beer Store (TBS) has announced its latest round of closures, shutting the doors to outlets in southern Simcoe County and York Region. Monday's announcement comes with the closure of nine other beer stores across Ontario. 'We made the difficult decision to close these retail locations. We will continue our focus on what we do best, ice-cold beer, great customer service and a world-class recycling program that last year returned more containers than we sold,' said Ozzie Ahmed, vice president retail of TBS. On July 6, The Beer Store located at 14800 Yonge Street in Aurora will be slated for closure. The Beer Store on 55 Queen Street in Tottenham will shut its doors on August 10, nearly two months away. This is the latest update in a series of closure-related announcements that the retailer has made. Modernizing Operations These closures are part of consumer retail alcohol modernization, found in the Early Implementation Agreement and provincial regulations. 'Modernizing operations in a changing marketplace is never easy, we know this will be difficult news for customers and employees. The Beer Store is committed to treating employees with respect and supporting them during this process,' continued Ahmed. The following alcohol containers can be returned to collect your deposit back: beer, wine and spirits bottles, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, tetra packs and kegs. The Beer Store says they encourage customers to continue returning more than the approximate 1.6 billion alcohol containers processed annually.
CTV News
7 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Another northern Ont. beer store to close
The Beer Store has announced its latest round of closures, affecting one outlet in northern Ontario. The store in Iroquois Falls will close Aug. 10, one of 10 locations that will cease operating that day. The Beer Store has announced its latest round of closures, affecting one outlet in northern Ontario. The store in Iroquois Falls will close Aug. 10, one of 10 locations that will cease operating that day. The other stores are mainly in the GTA, the company said in a news release Monday. 'We made the difficult decision to close these retail locations. We will continue our focus on what we do best, ice-cold beer, great customer service and a world-class recycling program that last year returned more containers than we sold,' Ozzie Ahmed, vice-president of retail, said in the release. Changing marketplace 'Modernizing operations in a changing marketplace is never easy. We know this will be difficult news for customers and employees. The Beer Store is committed to treating employees with respect and supporting them during this process.' Efforts will be made to support employees through this process in alignment with commitments and agreements, the release added. In addition to Iroquois Falls, a beer store in Sault Ste. Marie has been converted into a distribution warehouse. And last year, beer stores in Cochrane, Geraldton and Nipigon all closed. The decision to close the store has been driven, in part, by the fact that convenience stores are now allowed to sell beer and wine. A list of stores still operating can be found here.
CTV News
20-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Beer Store closing Glebe location in July
The Beer Store in the Glebe at 900 Bank St. in Ottawa. (Google) 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 Ajaz, 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.
Toronto Sun
07-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
11 Beer Store locations to close in Ontario, including 2 in Toronto
The company previously announced the closure of nine stores in the province A patron returns beer cans at a Beer Store location in Toronto. Photo by FILES / POSTMEDIA NETWORK The Beer Store plans to close 11 more stores in Ontario, including two in Toronto, effective July 6. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'The Beer Store is modernizing operations to meet the needs of marketplace – this means making the difficult decision to close some stores,' said Ozzie Ahmed, vice-president of retail, in a statement. 'We know this will be disappointing to many customers and our valued employees. We don't make this decision lightly — it is part of our ongoing commitment to business sustainability and serving the needs of our customers.' Last September, Ontario expanded the sales of beer including in large pack sizes — plus wine, cider and ready-to-drink beverages — to licensed convenience, grocery and big box grocery stores. Since then, The Beer Store announced the closure of nine stores in the province before the latest announcement. The Beer Store employs 6,500 people in the province with full- and part-time jobs. The company did not say how many jobs will be lost with the closures. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In Toronto, the two stores closing are at 609 Roehampton Ave. and 1580 Avenue Rd. The other GTA stores affected are two in Oakville at104 Lakeshore Rd. W. and 1011 Upper Middle Rd., one in Richmond Hill at 13469 Yonge St., and one in Aurora at 14800 Yonge St. 'As the Beer Store changes, some things will remain the same: Our commitment to excellent customer service, a great selection of brands, and a world-leading empty container return process,' Ahmed added. The Beer Store encourages customers to continue returning more than the approximate 1.6 billion alcohol containers it processes annually to a local TBS location or an empty return dealer located close by, adding that all grocery stores that sell alcohol will be required to return empties starting Jan. 1, 2026. The other Beer Store closures are in Coboconk at 6716 Hwy. 35, Cornwall at 1396 2nd St. E., Wiarton at 690 Berford St., and two in Windsor at 790 Goyeau St. and 1780 College Ave. jstevenson@ Television Canada Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists Sunshine Girls
