FOOD NEWS
The Standalone Costco Liquor Stores That Only Exist In Several Places
By Corin MJ Bae
With its own website independent of Costco's Canadian or American sites, Costco Liquor is a unique phenomenon in Alberta, one of Canada's prairie provinces.
The province prohibits liquor from being sold outside of dedicated liquor stores, meaning retailers like Costco aren't allowed to sell alcohol as part of its large stock of items.
The province-exclusive Costco Liquor stores are Costco Canada's solution to offer its liquor selection to customers while complying with the province's liquor regulations.
The handful of Costco Liquor locations are attached to a larger Costco Wholesale warehouse but operate like a separate store with different operating hours.
While Costco Canada Liquor as a corporate entity is exclusive to Canada, many Costco locations across the U.S. have external and separate liquor sections to comply with state laws.
Places like Georgia and Florida feature external liquor sections, while some states like Texas partner with local businesses to establish independent alcohol stores in the same lot.
However, it seems that such external stores in the U.S. will more often be labeled as "Liquor Sales" or "Liquor" in lieu of an independent brand like Costco Canada Liquor.