What happens to the Canada Post outlet when I buy a convenience store?

A postal counter can bring steady foot traffic to a convenience store, and it is easy to assume it comes with the shelves and the till. It may not. The counter is usually set up under its own agreement with Canada Post, and the sale of the store does not automatically move that agreement to you. Treat it as a separate item on your list from the first conversation.

Find out whose agreement it is

Ask the seller for a copy of the postal agreement and any letters about it. Look at who the named party is, whether the agreement can be assigned, and whether Canada Post must consent to a new owner. Your lawyer can read it and tell you what it allows. Do not rely on the seller’s memory of how it works.

Apply early and ask how long it takes

If you must apply as a new operator, ask Canada Post what it needs from you and how long a decision usually takes. Approval timing rarely lines up with a closing date. Many buyers find it helpful to start that conversation as soon as the seller agrees, with the seller’s written permission, and to keep the lender informed.

Traffic is not the same as income

A counter draws people through the door, but ask what the arrangement pays and what it costs in space, staff time and security. Ask the seller how many of those visitors also buy from the shelves. Your accountant can help you separate what the counter earns from what it brings to the rest of the store. See also what changes with the hours you will work.

If approval is not in place at closing

• Ask your lawyer about making closing conditional on the postal approval.
• Agree who runs the counter, if anyone, while approval is pending.
• Agree what happens to the purchase terms if approval is refused.
• Settle who deals with Canada Post and who pays any costs it asks for.