It took a year and a half for the Carrot River Co-op to secure the licence to open a liquor store. That effort was celebrated at a grand opening at the co-op’s 1013 Main location.
Ward Kewley, the co-op’s general manager, said the Liquor/Home and Leisure Centre, which not only includes almost 1,000 square feet of liquor retail space but also sells items like hunting, fishing and camping gear, clothing, apparel, work clothes and hardware, is unique in the province.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with the end result of this hybrid [sales] floor, this opportunity to offer the multiples of goods that we’ve got here,” he said at the Aug. 10 ribbon cutting.
The general manager said the unique space will allow opportunities to cross-merchandise products, like camping gear and alcoholic beverages.
The co-op bid for a liquor store licence twice. The first bid was awarded to the Carrot River Inn in November 2016, but was later revoked. The second bid was awarded to the co-op February 2017.
Bev Kott was hired by the co-op to serve as the location’s liquor commodity manager.
“Bev was an affected SLGA [Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority] employee too,” Kewley said. She had worked at the Carrot River public liquor store while it was open. “We brought her here to this retail while it was part of our bidding process, that she had a job here if we were successful.”
With her experience working at the public liquor store, Kott is aware of provincial laws and SLGA policies, allowing the co-op to sell alcohol and prevent it from getting into the hands of those that shouldn’t have it, like youth.
Kott said once the licence was awarded, it was a whirlwind of activity to get it open for liquor sales May 15.
“Once they were awarded the proposal, then it was a matter of ordering product and getting it all set up, so it was a lot of long hours, a lot of planning, a lot of detailing. We ended up having to do it in three days. It was a pretty fast project from beginning to end,” she said.
The liquor commodity manager had to get used to a few changes as liquor sales switched from a publicly-owned system to a privately-owned model.
“It’s been a challenge, but it’s been an interesting one – and fun.”
