Another Island-based co-operative is getting into the liquor business.
Peninsula Co-op, which operates services in Victoria to Duncan and in Campbell River and the Comox Valley, announced Friday it has purchased seven Liquor Express stores. One is in Nanaimo, the rest are south of the Malahat.
The Co-op currently owns two “PenCo Liquor” branded liquor stores in Langford and Saanich.
CEO Corey Gillon says the purchase “signifies a shift” and “enables [the co-op] to continue on the path of increased presence in the retail liquor sector.”
Gillon says the Co-op plans to retain the stores’ existing workforce. The transaction is expected to be finalized in September.
Competitor Mid-Island Co-op has been purchasing liquor stores for several years, and now operates 16 stores under the Mid-Island banner in communities from Sayward south to Duncan.
