Selling a Liquor Store Business With Commercial Property in Alberta

1. Establish ownership and sale perimeter

Map the corporation, shareholders, trade names, licence holder, property owner, leaseholder, employer, equipment owners, ordering accounts and contracting parties. Identify related-party rent, management, financing and shared-service arrangements.

With legal and tax advisors, distinguish shares, operating assets, liquor inventory, goodwill, real estate and leasehold rights. Schedule included and excluded cash, receivables, payables, deposits, gift cards, equipment, digital assets, data and liabilities.

• Legal seller
• Class D record
• Inventory
• Property or lease
• Equipment and security
• Closing obligations

2. Prepare the AGLC record without promising transfer

Organize the current licence record, applications, renewals, inspections, incident or disciplinary correspondence, training records, operating conditions and known changes. Use the current AGLC Retail Liquor Store Handbook as the policy index and disclose unresolved matters to advisors.

AGLC policy states that a liquor licence cannot simply be sold, assigned or transferred and addresses changes of ownership or control. Market the seller's licence as current seller evidence—not buyer approval, transferable property or an assurance of uninterrupted operation.

3. Assemble the municipal and property approval record

Provide the current development permit, approved Liquor Store use, conditions, business licence, fire, building, sign and alteration records for the exact unit or property. Include location plans and known site-specific or non-conforming issues.

Calgary and Edmonton have distinct location and zoning rules. Do not market a store as relocatable, expandable or automatically approvable at the current location based only on distance estimates, a prior licence or the absence of a recent complaint.

4. Build a reconciled sales record

Export point-of-sale data by day, category, product, promotion, discount, refund, tax, deposit, tender and channel. Reconcile the record to merchant settlements, delivery or online statements, bank deposits, GST records and the general ledger, with exceptions explained.

Separate liquor, permitted non-liquor items, delivery, deposits, gift cards and related-party activity. Gross sales are not gross profit or discretionary earnings, and product scanned or ordered is not necessarily revenue collected.

5. Explain margin and operating costs

Prepare category and period bridges for purchases, freight, deposits, credits, returns, promotions, inventory movement and shrink. Reconcile payroll, rent, utilities, payment processing, delivery, insurance, security, repairs and owner compensation.

Identify documented, proposed and forecast adjustments separately. A temporary supplier promotion, unpaid owner time, deferred repair or one-time inventory change should not be converted into permanent earnings without evidence and buyer analysis.

6. Create a controlled inventory record

Prepare a SKU-level schedule and physical-count protocol covering product, format, quantity, source, landed cost, deposit, age, location, condition and included status. Reconcile historical counts, purchases, sales, returns and adjustments.

Separate damaged, opened, aged or impaired, promotional, disputed, excluded and returnable product. A shelf or case count is not value, and the seller should not promise that every item can be sold to or used by the buyer without the applicable AGLC and transaction review.

7. Prepare the lease or real-property file

For leased premises, provide the full lease, amendments, options, notices, guarantees, deposits, defaults, inducements, assignment and change-of-control terms, together with reconciled occupancy costs. Identify required landlord consent and timing.

For owned property, organize title, plans, tax, use, condition, environmental, utility and capital records independently from business results. Do not imply lease transfer, renewal, option exercise or real-estate value without the required evidence and professional review.

8. Document security, incidents and insurance

Index alarm, video, safe, key, access, monitoring, incident, theft, loss, insurance and claim records. Identify system ownership, service arrangements, known blind spots, retention limits and planned upgrades.

Present shrink and claims consistently with inventory and accounting records. Do not describe a security system as complete, transferable or insurer-approved solely because equipment is installed and operating.

9. Reconcile equipment and registered interests

Create a serial-numbered register for coolers, refrigeration, shelving, point-of-sale, scanners, safes, cameras, alarms, signs, office and delivery equipment. Classify seller-owned, landlord-owned, leased, financed, supplier-owned and excluded items.

Support ownership and discharge claims with contracts, invoices, lender and Personal Property Registry evidence interpreted by counsel. Physical presence is not title, lien-free status or inclusion.

10. Control staff, customer and digital disclosure

Prepare aggregate workforce, certification, turnover and compensation schedules before releasing identifiable information. Use staged, necessary disclosure for employee, delivery, loyalty and customer data under Alberta privacy requirements.

Index domains, phone numbers, social accounts, map profiles, ordering systems, payment services and loyalty platforms, including owner and transfer provisions. Reviews, followers, rankings and platform access should not be presented as guaranteed transferable performance.

11. Qualify buyers against the actual approval path

Require buyers to state transaction structure, operating experience, capital, inventory funding, AGLC plan, municipal path, landlord strategy and closing timing. Use staged evidence and objective milestones rather than relying on a generic proof-of-funds statement.

Coordinate the buyer's approval work with inventory count, lease consent, staff communication, supplier and system access, insurance, keys and possession. Avoid promising a closing or opening date that depends on unconfirmed third-party approval.

12. Use claim-controlled marketing and closing

Tie public claims about licence status, sales, margin, inventory, lease term, equipment, hours and property to dated source records and defined limitations. Correct or withdraw claims when evidence changes.

Have legal, tax and accounting advisors address structure, allocations, GST/HST, WCB, employees, liabilities and closing adjustments. Commercially does not certify the licence, inventory, earnings, equipment, lease rights or property approval, and this guide is not a valuation or professional opinion.