Grocers eager to sell B.C. wine, cider and sake on store shelves will be able to bid in April to get one of six licences from the B.C. government.
The B.C. government on February 18 revealed new details about its long awaited auction process that it expects will eventually put 18 long-dormant licences into the hands of grocery store operators.
The right to apply for these licences will be auctioned off individually online, with staggered bidding opportunities at a government branch known as BC Auction.
Grocers have to meet criteria such as being at least 10,000 square feet and focusing at least 75% of their business on food products and services.
They will also have to put up $25,000 as a deposit for each licence that they hope to get as well as pass through a pre-screening and registration phase.
If successful, those deposits will be returned.
Future auctions will require all grocers to go through the process all over again.
Another change that the B.C. government announced February 18 is that 21 stores that are currently limited to selling wine that passes the British Columbia Vintner’s Quality Alliance standards will be able to sell all wine made 100% from grapes grown in B.C.
The Overwaitea Food Group has so far been the only grocer to show interest in selling BC VQA wine since the B.C. government legalized wine sales in grocery stores on April 1.
It has been manoeuvring to sell wine in more of its grocery stores as British Columbia Vintners Quality Alliance (BC VQA) wine outlets close, leaving licences available.
The Jim Pattison Group-owned company began selling BC VQA wine at its South Surrey Save-On-Foods on April 1, 2015, and then, on September 17, at a PriceSmart in Surrey’s Fleetwood neighbourhood.
Wine sales then also launched at a Save-On-Foods in Tsawwassen.
Overwaitea president Darrell Jones told Business in Vancouver on January 29 that he expected two Kelowna Overwaitea grocery stores to start selling wine in “the next month or so.”
