The Beer Store has confirmed it will shutter its locations in Bothwell and Ridgetown over the coming weeks, part of a broader decision to permanently close dozens of stores across Ontario.
The Ridgetown outlet, located on Erie St. S near Highway 21, is set to close after business ends on September 14, while the Bothwell store at 160 Oak St. will cease operations as of August 24.
Beer Store officials say the closure are linked to a shifting retail landscape for beer sales in Ontario.
“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 at TBS.
Just three weeks ago, on June 23, the company had announced its intention to shut down 11 other stores, including the Bothwell location. At the time, Ahmed acknowledged the impact on communities and staff, saying, “Closing a retail store is never an easy decision – our stores and employees contribute to communities in many ways and provide easy access to empty returns throughout Ontario.”
The closures come as The Beer Store looks to streamline its operations and refocus on what it describes as its core strengths.
“We are modernizing operations and focusing on what we do best: selling ice cold beer, great customer service and a world leading recycling system that gets customers their deposit money back,” Ahmed said.
Bothwell and Ridgetown are the only stores in Chatham-Kent affected by the closures. Other impacted communities include larger urban centres such as Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa, as well as smaller municipalities like Atikokan, Powassan, Northbrook and Sioux Lookout.
The company said it will make “all efforts” to support affected employees “in alignment with commitments and agreements.”
