Announcing the Sale of Beverage alcohol

  • Grocery Store and Convenience Store licensees can advertise to the public that they have a licence to sell beer, wine, cider, and ready-to-drink beverages.

Promoting Brands of Beverage Alcohol that are being sold at the Licensee’s Store 

  • Grocery Store and Convenience Store licensees can advertise the brands of beer, wine, cider, and ready-to-drink beverages that are being sold in their store.

Advertising the Prices of Beverage Alcohol that are being sold at the Licensee’s Store

  • Grocery Store and Convenience Store licensees can advertise the prices of beer, wine, cider, and ready-to-drink beverages that are sold in their store.
  • Discounts, special promotional prices or seasonal discounts or ‘deals’ for beverage alcohol products can be advertised.
  • Prices and discounts that are offered must be above the minimum retail price for each category and quantity of beverage alcohol , which is set out in the LLCA’s Licencing Regulation for wine and   Minimum Pricing of Liquor and Other Pricing Matters Regulation for other products. The LCBO has created a Minimum Retail Pricing Guide which can be referred to for the minimum retail price of products based on category and package size.

Promoting Beverage Alcohol with Non-Alcoholic Beverages or Food Items (e.g. Cross-Promotion)

  • Grocery Store and Convenience Store licensees can advertise beer, wine, cider or ready-to-drink beverages with other non-alcoholic beverages or food items.
  • Licensees cannot engage in promotions that require customers to purchase beverage alcohol products as a requirement or condition for getting free or discounted merchandise.

    However, licensees are allowed to offer manufacturers’ promotions to customers in which a value-added item may be included with a purchase of a beverage alcohol product, provided on the condition that the item is of a nominal value compared to the retail price of the beverage alcohol product. 

    Example: A licensee can accept a manufacturer’s promotional offer that would include a free hat with the purchase of a twelve pack of beer, as long as the hat is significantly cheaper in value than the retail price of the pack of beer it accompanies. 
  • Grocery Store and Convenience Store licensees may not advertise beverage alcohol with, or display beverage alcohol in close proximity to, energy drinks or any other products that may promote the immoderate consumption of beverage alcohol.   

    Example: A flyer advertising the sale of beer should not show the beer next to a drinking game game kit (e.g. beer pong game kit), because it could encourage the irresponsible or over-consumption of beer. 

Using Public Service Advertising

  • Grocery Store and Convenience Store licensees can advertise or promote the responsible use or sale of beer, wine, cider, or ready-to-drink products.
    • Public service advertising is any advertising that promotes the responsible use of beverage alcohol.
    • Public service advertising cannot contain any direct or indirect endorsement (e.g. encouragement, recommendation or suggestion) of beverage alcohol or beverage alcohol consumption.
    • Public service advertising is typically conducted by social responsibility groups. Licensees are allowed to accept and post such advertisements on their premises.