At a public hearing October 19, City Council approved bylaw amendments to allow the sale of wine on grocery store shelves in Vancouver.
An ABC Vancouver councillor had been pushing for the city to amend its bylaws to allow wine to be sold on grocery store shelves — a move that is already a reality in Kamloops, Prince George, Coquitlam, Surrey and several other B.C. municipalities.
Mike Klassen introduced a motion earlier this year that requested city staff review guidelines for wine sales in Vancouver grocery stores. The former bylaw allowed wine to be sold only in a separate section of a grocery store from a separate cashier, and there was only one such outlet in the city.
Under the new rules, grocery stores larger than 10,000 square feet that have both a provincial wine store licence and a municipal business licence may sell wine on shelves provided they meet all provincial requirements.
“The convenience of purchasing wine while grocery shopping has been accessible to many British Columbians for quite some time,” said Mayor Ken Sim. “We're excited for Vancouver to finally join other municipalities with enhanced shopping experiences. This decision not only makes shopping more convenient, but it also supports the province’s wine industry.”
As part of its research and evaluation, the city consulted with existing licence holders and operators, industry groups, as well as health, safety and crime prevention organizations.
“Allowing wine on shelves not only supports businesses but also ensures residents have access to the services they desire in the most efficient way possible,” said Sarah Hicks, chief license inspector. “This change brings Vancouver in line with other municipalities across the Lower Mainland.”
