New Liquor Mart lets you window shop

Larry Baker’s grocery run almost got sidetracked by wine.

He was wheeling his cart Thursday morning, conducting his usual Save-On-Foods trip, when he noticed a line by a glassy store-within-the-store.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries has built a windowed, 580-sq.-ft. shop within the Save-On-Foods in the Northgate Shopping Centre on McPhillips Street.

The catch: customers can’t go inside. They can window shop or scan a digital menu for alcohol before buying at a takeout window.

Thursday marked the store’s grand opening. Amid the swarm of politicians and Crown corporation brass, Baker decided to continue with his grocery run.

“I think it’s neat,” he said of the Liquor Mart. “This is a convenience thing.”

He could grab a bottle while his wife grocery shops, he said.

Convenience, safety and cost savings have all led to the new store model, according to MLL leadership.

“We hope it resonates with the consumer,” said Robert Holmberg, executive vice-president of liquor and cannabis for MLL.

“If they vote with a ‘yes,’ I think we could potentially look at (more locations) in the future.”

The Liquor Mart is across from food aisles; its digital menu flashes 240 different alcohol options, including local beer. For now, one or two employees will grab drinks for Save-On-Foods shoppers.

Customers must pay by credit, debit or Liquor Mart gift card. They’ll be IDed if they appear to be under the age of 25.

“Demand for convenience has obviously immensely grown over time,” Gerry Sul, the president of MLL, said in a speech. “We thought about this concept of, ‘How do we make it more seamless?’”

MLL opened its last Liquor Mart in 2019 in the Seasons neighbourhood. That location, like many, has a controlled entryway to prevent theft. The Crown corporation began implementing the security measures in 2019.

Building a smaller store with no public entrance is a way for MLL to be “efficient” with its sales per square foot, Holmberg noted.

It has a mandate to make money for the provincial government.

The area near the Northgate Save-On-Foods needed more Liquor Mart capacity, but not a full store — so it was fitting for MLL’s new model. Tyndall Market and Garden City Square liquor marts are nearby and can provide extra stock to the grocery centre if needed, Holmberg said.

MLL is paying attention to the communities of Meadowlands and Polaris Place as it considers future development.

It isn’t turning away from traditional Liquor Marts, Holmberg said: “We still truly believe in that interconnectivity between our employees and being able to provide expertise … to our consumers.”

It’s something Baker echoed: he leans on Liquor Mart staff for advice while shopping.

The Crown corporation launched a Liquor Mart pop-up near Costco at 4077 Portage Ave. late last year. Customers ordered via a service window; they couldn’t see all the products offered, but they could use a digital menu.

That experience shaped the Save-On-Foods liquor site, said Glen Simard, the minister responsible for MLL.

“Here, it was really important for us to be able to actually see the product,” Simard said inside Save-On-Foods.

The model ensures security measures are still in place, said John Graham, the Retail Council of Canada’s director of government relations for the Prairies.

He highlighted Liquor Mart Expresses and online options: “(They’re) all different ways to meet the customer where they’re most interested in shopping.”

Liquor Mart Expresses are placed inside grocery stores. Customers can enter those outlets, unlike the Northgate site.

The Northgate Liquor Mart, at 1399 McPhillips St., will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

It’s an “exciting milestone” for the grocery store, said Paul Cope, a senior vice-president with Pattison Food Group, which owns Save-On-Foods.

The chain has in-store wine departments in 22 locations in British Columbia.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries tracked $887 million in liquor operations revenue last year, up from $873 million in 2024.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com