LCBO / The Beer Store

[DSC]

I assume the LCBO are busily trying to negotiate leases for the new marihuana stores that will open sometime in late summer. These must apparently be separate from regular LCBO stores though could, I suppose, be carved out of larger existing ones. It will be interesting to see how they spread them around!

 

[narduch]

I assume the LCBO are busily trying to negotiate leases for the new marihuana stores that will open sometime in late summer. These must apparently be separate from regular LCBO stores though could, I suppose, be carved out of larger existing ones. It will be interesting to see how they spread them around!

They will probably also be closed on holidays.

 

[Skeezix]

The Province and the LCBO have been a bit mum on the issue of whether any of the new cannabis outlets could be carved out of an existing LCBO. They have been very clear that cannabis will not be sold alongside alcohol. I think the strong preference/general intent is not to have LCBO and OCRC outlets next to one another. However, if they are having trouble securing leases in key locations for the initial roll-out of 40 OCRC outlets, that resolve may weaken.

 

[Skeezix]

This is just stupid...

Toronto grocery stores roped off their beer on Family Day

They will probably also be closed on holidays.

To be fair, the City of Toronto bans most retail sales on holidays, unless one is in a designated tourist area (e.g. the Eaton Centre) or the store is under 2400 sq. ft. and limited to selling foodstuffs and other assorted permitted goods (a limited list which does not include alcohol). We live in a city where, for example, the entire Sobey's store is closed on Family Day, let alone the beer section. The Pape Market Foodland near me (on the Danforth) doesn't sell booze, but they also rope off part of their store to get under the 2400 sq. ft. limit (although they tend not to squawk if customers climb under the ropes to grab a can of something). Despite what that BlogTO article implies, smaller grocery stores across this city have been roping off sections for years.

So beer and wine sales are getting caught up in the perennial debate in this city over retail sales on holidays. This is nothing new. Even if we had less restrictive alcohol sales rules, we'd still be caught up in this issue.

IIRC, York Region designated its entire area to be a tourist area so as to allow all retailers to open on statutory holidays, except Christmas Day. Does anyone happen to know if the Beer Store is open on statutory holidays in York Region (I assume LCBO is not). What about the beer and wine sections in grocery stores? Or does AGCO simply prohibit alcohol sales on holidays?

 

[Towered]

Now this I've never heard of. Was this a self-checkout machine?

No, a normal cashier checkout.

 

[Towered]

So far as I can discern, the hours are set by the AGCO; though they have a historical habit of coinciding w/whatever the LCBO would like to do.

You will note that most grocers begin alcohol sales at 9am; which is typically earlier than the LCBO, and run till 11pm, Mon-Saturday; 6pm on Sundays.

This has been the rule for private licensees (Wine Shoppe, Wine Rack etc.) for decades, under governments of all stripes.

****

The above having been said, I don't find the early Sunday hours particularly sensible either.

Worth noting here, is that in the last contract round w/its union, the LCBO got rid of Sunday shift premiums.

I'm going to suggest (hope?) that that is not a coincidence; and that later Sunday service is in the offing. (I'm hearing 8pm......but can't say for sure)



See above.

Historically the LCBO was closed Sundays.

This changed just about 20 years ago.

When the change occurred, LCBO workers got a Sunday shift premium for working Sundays.

This created a disincentive to longer Sunday hours.

Also this wasn't that long after Sunday shopping came in, in Ontario, and routine store/mall hours were Noon-5pm at the time.

Since then, 11-7pm has become common place among non-grocers, and grocers are routinely open much later.

The rules around times were set up to ensure the LCBO wasn't disadvantaged.

Given the elimination of the Sunday shift premiums, I expect change may be in the offing.

I just can't wrap my head around the fact that even though the store was still open (until 7 pm I believe), I was not allowed to buy beer because it was a bit after 6. It's pure idiocy, plain and simple. Really bad optics for the government as it's another classic example of the kind of pointless red tape that annoys people yet serves no greater purpose whatsoever.

 

[narduch]

To be fair, the City of Toronto bans most retail sales on holidays, unless one is in a designated tourist area (e.g. the Eaton Centre) or the store is under 2400 sq. ft. and limited to selling foodstuffs and other assorted permitted goods (a limited list which does not include alcohol). We live in a city where, for example, the entire Sobey's store is closed on Family Day, let alone the beer section. The Pape Market Foodland near me (on the Danforth) doesn't sell booze, but they also rope off part of their store to get under the 2400 sq. ft. limit (although they tend not to squawk if customers climb under the ropes to grab a can of something). Despite what that BlogTO article implies, smaller grocery stores across this city have been roping off sections for years.

So beer and wine sales are getting caught up in the perennial debate in this city over retail sales on holidays. This is nothing new. Even if we had less restrictive alcohol sales rules, we'd still be caught up in this issue.

IIRC, York Region designated its entire area to be a tourist area so as to allow all retailers to open on statutory holidays, except Christmas Day. Does anyone happen to know if the Beer Store is open on statutory holidays in York Region (I assume LCBO is not). What about the beer and wine sections in grocery stores? Or does AGCO simply prohibit alcohol sales on holidays?

I'm pretty sure LCBO and Beer Stores are still closed on all stat holidays in York Region.

I just think if you are going to allow stores to open, restricting alcohol is asinine.

Isn't Yorkdale also trying to get the same 'tourism' status as Eaton Centre?

 

[Skeezix]

[...] I just think if you are going to allow stores to open, restricting alcohol is asinine. [...]

I agree with that. But Toronto generally doesn't permit stores to open on holidays. In parts of the province where there are no retail restrictions on holidays, is the issue the AGCO or the labour agreements with the LCBO's and Beer Store's respective unions?

 

[Skeezix]

I just can't wrap my head around the fact that even though the store was still open (until 7 pm I believe), I was not allowed to buy beer because it was a bit after 6. It's pure idiocy, plain and simple. Really bad optics for the government as it's another classic example of the kind of pointless red tape that annoys people yet serves no greater purpose whatsoever.

Agreed. For beer and wine, the Province should set down some general criteria to ensure responsible sales at appropriate locations, but otherwise allow any store which meets the criteria to buy a license and let them sell the stuff during normal business hours, whether LCBO and the Beer Store are open or not.

This so-called "liberalization" of beer and wine sales in Ontario had a lot more to do with responding to the concerns of stakeholders (e.g. the breweries who own the Beer Store, the provincial treasury, the labour unions) than it did with making things better for consumers.

It's ridiculous that in 2018 our system of alcohol sales in this province is still largely based on a system that was created as a compromise to end prohibition in 1927.

 

[gabe]

No, a normal cashier checkout.

Make sure when you do go the checkouts you're in the designated "beer lanes" One time last year i forgot and went to a normal checkout, the cashier who looked like she was close to retirement age, ( old enough to check ID.) wouldn't scan my two cans of beer. So I left them at the checkout, because i couldn't be bothered to line up again in one of the beer lanes for a couple cans of beer.....So stupid!

 

[Skeezix]

Make sure when you do go the checkouts you're in the designated "beer lanes" One time last year i forgot and went to a normal checkout, the cashier who looked like she was close to retirement age, ( old enough to check ID.) wouldn't ring in my two cans of beer. So I left them at the checkout, because i couldn't be bothered to line up again in one of the beer lanes for a couple cans of beer.....So stupid!

I have no issue with that. The so-called beer lane just means that the cashier is at least 18 years of age, and has, as I understand, passed an online course on how to check ID and how to identify underage/intoxicated buyers.

 

[JasonParis]

Basically the same as being SmartServe certified I think.

 

[Skeezix]

Basically the same as being SmartServe certified I think.

Yes, I think so, but with an additional new module specifically for retail sales so I was told.

 

[Amare]

In partial relation to the LCBO, the government found a good way to waste away $650,000. Ladies and gentleman, say hello to the "Ontario Cannabis Store":

Really, I kid you not this is what they came up with after hiring an "advertising agency".

http://montrealgazette.com/news/loc...nabis-store-logo-surely-quebecs-wont-be-worse

 

[W. K. Lis]

Here's the logo for the British Columbia store that could be selling cannabis:

See link.

Shoppers Drug Mart has lined up a third cannabis supply agreement as part of its ambition to dispense the drug amid what experts say is increasing support among pharmacists to distribute medical pot and expectations that the regulatory framework needed will come to fruition.

The latest deal, announced Friday, is with B.C.-based licensed marijuana producer Tilray Canada Ltd. to supply branded medical cannabis products and is conditional upon Health Canada's approval of Shoppers' application to dispense medical marijuana.

A spokesman for Loblaw Companies Ltd., Shoppers' parent company, said it could not speculate on if, or when, it will be approved. Loblaw first applied for a licence in 2016...