A Save-On-Foods store in Richmond has started selling B.C. wine on its shelves, becoming the 21th grocery store in the province to sell wine.
This comes on the heels of the Save-On-Foods in the Clearbrook neighbourhood of Abbotsford starting to sell wine on shelves on June 19. The Clearbrook wine section is still largely under construction, however.
The Richmond store, at 3000-11666 Steveston Highway, is the 15th Save-On-Foods store to sell B.C. wine on shelves by using an operating agreement that was signed between its parent, Overwaitea Food Group, and the licence owner, the B.C. Wine Institute.
Loblaw Companies Ltd.-owned (TSX:L) Real Canadian Superstore operates six grocery stores that sell B.C. wine.
The plan for the Richmond Save-On-Foods is for it to carry more than 900 wines that has been certified under the British Columbia Vintners Quality Alliance (BCVQA) certification program.
The B.C. government changed the law to allow B.C. wine to be sold on grocery store shelves on April 1, 2015.
Since then grocers slowly went about getting necessary licences and approvals.
Vancouver city council voted 9-1 to ban grocers in that city from selling wine on shelves.
Other cities around the province have been welcoming.
Real Canadian Superstore operates grocery stores that sell wine in:
•Langley;
•Langford;
•Kelowna;
•Vernon;
•Westbank; and
•south Surrey.
The Overwaitea stores that sell wine include:
•two in Kelowna;
•two in Surrey;
•North Vancouver;
•Richmond;
•Abbotsford (Clearbrook);
•Maple Ridge;
•White Rock;
•Prince George;
•Tsawwassen;
•Langley;
•Penticton;
•Kamloops; and
•Parksville.
