Beer seems to fade in and out of popularity.
The beverage clearly has a core following of people who love their big-name brands and a dedicated crew of folks who love craft beer. But, every few years beer seems to have its moment.
That leads to an explosion of new brands on the market and people opening brewpubs, beer stores, and other beer-related businesses out of love, not always because they have a sound business plan.
Related: Award-winning beer brand files Chapter 7 bankruptcy to liquidate
Currently, the beer industry has suffered. Overall sales are down which many blame on younger drinkers opting for a more sober lifestyle. In reality, that’s a good media story, but it’s actually more a shift from beer to other libations.
CBD and THC-infused drinks have become legal in many markets and ready-to-drink cocktails have also grown in popularity. Beer hasn’t gone away, in fact it remains incredibly popular.
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“Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage worldwide. In fact, after water and tea, beer is the most commonly-consumed drink in the world,” Alcohol Help reported.
The beloved drink, however, has seen its popularity dip a bit and a huge beer retailer has felt the pain.
Beer is no longer the hot beverage trend.
Image source: Shutterstock
Beer retailer has a deep history
While most liquor stores in the United States sell beer, wine, and spirits, Canada has a deep tradition of stores where beer is the focus. The Beer Store has over 440 locations from coast to coast, but the chain has met with selected trouble over the past few years.
“Becoming experts on beer doesn’t happen overnight – we’ve been in business since 1927. There’s no other team of beer experts who live and love all things beer as much as we do,” The Beer Store shared on its website.
The company built its brand on loving the product it sells.
“We love beer as much as you — so you know we’ll always be dedicated to bringing you your favourite brands from brewers around the world and offer tips on how to enjoy them responsibly. As a customer, you can choose from a multitude of beer brands from brewers around the world,” it added.
More closings:
- Popular retail chain to close unprofitable store locations
- Bankrupt retail chain unloads store leases, key asset
- Popular discount retailer files bankruptcy, closes all stores
The chain also noted that it has not only been around longer than the internet, its creation predates television. In addition, The Beer Store has shown a deep commitment to only selling to customers who are of age.
“We take corporate social responsibility seriously, and make sure that every beer we sell is a responsible sale. A key component of Responsible Sales is the identification checks we conduct through our ‘WE ID’ program, where staff requests identification from customers who appear to be 30 years of age and younger, as well as the refusal of service to individuals with any signs of potential intoxication,” it explained.
The Beer Store closing 11 more locations
In June The Beer Store closed four locations. At the time, the company explained that it was a routine culling of its store portfolio.
“As the marketplace shifts, we must adapt our business model to ensure we continue to meet the needs of our customers. We are closely monitoring the performance of each store, and at times, may need to make the challenging decision to close select stores,” The Beer Store Vice President of Retail Ozzie Ahmed said in an April statement.
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Now, the chain is closing 11 more stores effective July 6.
“The Beer Store is modernizing operations to meet the needs of marketplace – this means making the difficult decision to close some stores. We know this will be disappointing to many customers and our valued employees,” said Ahmed in a new statement. “We don’t make this decision lightly; it is part of our ongoing commitment to business sustainability and serving the needs of our customers.”
Ahmed said that the closures are a result of the changing retail landscape and that customers looking to recycle bottles and cans may do so at grocery stores that sell alcohol beginning in 2026.