Monashees liquor store being sold, will undergo rebrand

Jan 31, 2022 | 3:00 PM

Vernon’s largest privately-owned liquor store will have a new owner in a couple of weeks.

Otter Co-op, which is based out of Langley B.C., is purchasing Monashees on 30th Street.

Jack Nicholson, the chief executive officer of Otter Co-op, told Vernon Matters, the transaction closes on Feb. 15.

He was asked about what will happen with the current staff and if the store will see a name change.

“It is our intention to welcome the current team into the Otter Co-op, and we will be rebranding in the future, which will include “Monashee” in the name, pending Liquor Control Board approvals,” said Nicholson.

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Monashee bills itself as the largest privately-owned liquor store in the province.

“We opened our doors May 24, 2017 to a chorus of ‘wows, oooohs and ahhhhs.’ With over 10,000 square feet of retail space, we guarantee you won’t find a better selection anywhere,” the store’s website states.

Otter Co-op operates a number of liquor stores in the Fraser Valley and Okanagan, many under the brand ‘Angry Otter Liquor.’

The company says on its website the Co-op brand is used by a network of retail co-operative associations across Western Canada that own and operate Co-op food stores, gas bars/convenience stores, home centres, pharmacies and more.

“Your local association is a member of this network, which we call the Co-operative Retailing System,” the website explained. “The associations are independent organizations owned by their members, who democratically elect a local board of directors to govern the business. The Co-op brand is built on the idea of being truly local and the promise of staying that way.”

by Pete McIntyre

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