AMHERST – Downtown Amherst will no longer have a liquor store later this year as the area’s NSLC store is on the move to another part of town.
Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation spokesperson Bev Ware confirmed Thursday the LaPlanche Street store will close before the end of the year with a new express store opening in the same building as the West Amherst Esso.
“The store that’s downtown is an aging facility and it doesn’t warrant further investment,” Ware told the Amherst News. “It would require extensive remediation work. This is a much more fiscally responsible option for us.”
Ware said the West Amherst location offers a number of things the NSLC looks for when choosing a location, including visibility, parking, access and the ability to unload product.
“That location works well,” she said.
The express store concept is a neighbourhood type operation designed especially for customer convenience where they can pop in and pick up their favourite products.
Ware said the NSLC is also investing in the Amherst mall store located in the Superstore.
The Superstore NLSC has already been earmarked as the Cumberland County location for the sale of cannabis when it’s legalized later this year. Renovations have already begun and the store will be ready for when cannabis is officially legalized.
That location will be a signature store and will also include a port section with high-end products and tasting units. There will also be a premium spirits section and a cool room. Local products will be featured in the store and there will be a product specialist.
“Between the two stores we’re investing more than a million dollars,” Ware said.
Work on the express store is expected to begin in July.
There will be no job losses with the store move to West Amherst.
Twitter: @ADNdarrell
