News   Apr 26, 2024
Sustainability Month: ReHousing — A Multiplex How-To Guide Explores What’s Possible in the Yellowbelt
 2K     4 
News   Apr 26, 2024
Mattamy's Soleil and Mile & Creek Condos in Milton’s Flourishing Landscape
 434     0 
News   Apr 26, 2024
Galleria on the Park Soon to Welcome First Residents of Masterplanned Community
 1K     1 

LCBO / The Beer Store

Should the LCBO be deregulated?

  • Total voters
    169
  • Poll closed .
Dropped in to Amsterdam brewery today and picked up a case. I give big credit to Amsterdam for aggressively manning their Twitter and Facebook feeds on Holidays and posting on their websites reminders that they are open. Not a lot of people would otherwise remember there is somewhere to buy beer today when you inevitably run out. There was a steady stream of people coming in and out of the store while I was there, several buying large quantities.

I can't find a peep from Steam Whistle or Mill Street or even a mention on their websites they are open to sell beer today. I wonder if there is actually some revenue lost because of that?
 
Not an LCBO, but a Wine Rack store will be opening up soon on Danforth Ave at Carlaw
 
Rumour mills:

LCBO looking to move its small store in the Beach a block 2 west of where the Pier 1 now is, and building a new store (one storey)

Also, hearing maybe an expansion/reno for the Cabbagetown outlet on Parliament.

*****

Inside downtown, what they most need is to replace that awful outlet at Yonge/Wellesley;

In the east end, they need a new store somewhere near Woodbine/Danforth, as the gap to the next stores over is quite large (Greenwood to the west or east of Vic. Park)
 
Northern Light said:
Rumour mills:

LCBO looking to move its small store in the Beach a block 2 west of where the Pier 1 now is, and building a new store (one storey)

Also, hearing maybe an expansion/reno for the Cabbagetown outlet on Parliament.

*****

Inside downtown, what they most need is to replace that awful outlet at Yonge/Wellesley;

In the east end, they need a new store somewhere near Woodbine/Danforth, as the gap to the next stores over is quite large (Greenwood to the west or east of Vic. Park)
Click to expand...

I always thought that LCBO mini-store was a waste. Never carried anything. The old mini Beer Store at Hambly was very handy tho...
 
Beer Store Gotta Go

I've been writing letters and pestering my MPP's for years to allow the sale of wine and beer in grocery and convenience stores, you know, like they do in the rest of the civilized world. Anyway, in addition to the inconvenient way of distributing suds in our fair provence we are also saddled with high prices AND the blight of the "Beer Store" buildings. Getting the provence to change the way wine and beer is sold will require a major fight (re: union wages for LCBO employees and the guy who hands you your six pack at the Beer Store) but the city might be able to do something about the sorry brick boxes the breweries insist on imposing on us here in T.O. I'd really like to see city council pressure the "Beer Store" mafia to get rid of the crappy structures they've littered our streets with. I mean come on!, It's bad enough that I can get a six pack of Canadian beer in New York state for less than I can here, do I also need to be assaulted with hideous buildings and parking lots? I don't know why the big Brewers (all foreign owned by the way) are allowed to run roughshod over poor old Toronto's streets. Here are just three of these egregious buildings in my neighborhood (excuse the poor photo quality).

View attachment 9515

View attachment 9516

View attachment 9517
 

Attachments

  • BeerStore7.jpg
    BeerStore7.jpg
    94.7 KB · Views: 280
  • BeerStore5.jpg
    BeerStore5.jpg
    97.3 KB · Views: 293
  • BeerStore4.jpg
    BeerStore4.jpg
    96.2 KB · Views: 293
Last edited:
While I dislike the Beer Store as much as the next person, those images are ancient! The first one, Gerrard St E at Seaton, has been renovated into their new yellow stucco look. The second one, on River, got a new sign and ad pylon several years ago (though otherwise looks about the same). The third, on Parliament near Winchester, got a new sign years ago too.

There is an existing thread somewhere on this debate...
 
At least the newer ones have walk-in refrigerated areas where you can serve yourself. They're better lit, they have better signage and they don't have the stuffy, decrepit vibe of the older stores.

I think the big breweries like things the way they are. Competition is less, yes. Plus I would love to walk into the corner store to buy my wine and beer. It's sad that we're still in this weird funk about how we buy alcohol in this province.
 
The Beer Stores gotta go!! especially those old retro stores with the mic and computer terminal. I want to see the varieties of beer they have, not guess what they have in stock.

I was visiting Ottawa for labour day weekend and stopped at Costco in Quebec to get some beer, you'd think that they were giving the beer away for fee, the lines ups of cars with Ontario licence plates were insane! Ontarians were filling trailers up with cases of beer.

I haven't bought beer in Ontario in a few years, i buy most of my beer in Buffalo. Down there you can get beer at the gas stations, corner stores and grocery stores which is handy if you like the popular brands. For beer connoisseurs like me, best places to shop are "Premier Gourmet" which has over 1500 different kinds of beer, best of all, they only carry imports and micro beers, if you want Coors or Bud go to a gas station and get it. I literary spent 45 minutes in that store. Another great place is Consumers Beverages, huge variety and they even have beer taps to fill up Growlers! They had 16 different taps to choose from.

2a8gcag.jpg
 
Shon Tron, My photos are hardly ancient. The stores are still basically the same as they are depicted in the photos. A brown box with no consideration given to the street and accompanied with a large parking lot. I actually think the brewers would rather not have to build and maintain these properties as well as pay union wages to someone for handing you your box of beer. They could probably make more money just by distributing their product through grocery stores. Could you direct me to the thread that deals with this topic if one already exists? Thanks.
 
I don't have much to add except I agree, the stores are horrific and I'd really like to see these relics gone and see the properties redeveloped. I don't drink but I strongly support being able to buy beer and wine in convenience and food stores. Our liquor laws aren't very progressive in Ontario but then again, we're also back to debating private exotic dances yet again. And legalize weed, sell it at LCBO outlets - I don't smoke either, but I see a great tax grab here instead of buying skanky weed on the street.
 
Shon, was it you who wrote about how the Beer Store was like a communist-style retail experience? Or was that about Consumers Distributing?

Anyway, whoever wrote that, it was brilliant. It's amazing how a retail model like this still can exist but then you remember that, oh yeah, it's a monopoly*.

*more precisely, it's a cartel.
 
When you think about it, they're not even beer stores really. They're more like beer dispensaries. Pretty grim, but we take it as given here in Ontario.
 
I doubt if anyone will buy less or more beer or switch brands because of the level of decor at the Beer Store. Some stores are medeival, some are very modern but the beer is the same.

I believe retail competition should be allowed to keep the Beer and Liquor monopolies honest rather than dismantling them but it won't be easy.

I think the "beer in the corner store" model would be problematic for reasons other than those already discussed. The Coca-cola or Pepsi truck delivers a sufficient amount of pop to make the trip worthwhile however the small and not so small breweries are not going to justify delivering a couple of sixpacks to each of a thousand variety stores every week or maybe one sixpack per month of an obscure product.

The average corner store doesn't have the space or credit to stock beer in 12 or 24 packs not to mention the nightmares of refrigeration and processing empties.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top