LCBO / The Beer Store

[Towered]

Which one is that?

Dundas and Lansdowne.

 

[Transportfan]

I was on a bike trip last summer in eastern Ohio (Appalachia) and we stayed at a hotel that was offering free beer and tacos (gotta love US liquor laws). As we were cleaning up I asked where the recycling was for the beer cans - I got a blank stare. No diversion of any kind; all into the landfill.

I believe only Ontario has an alcoholic beverage container-only deposit system. Other places it's all-or-nothing.

 

[gabe]

I look forward to the day the archaic Beer Store monopoly is gone! Today i had the difficult task of searching for a 24 case of craft beer for a party i'm hosting this weekend. The young hipster looking dude that assisted me understood my frustration of the lack of local craft beer in the Beer Store. 90% of the store was macro piss that no one drinks like Labatt Blue Lite and Molson OV, those beer drinkers are long dead! lol
Every time i go to NY state i see less and less macro beer in the stores and more sections devoted to local craft beer, because that's what the new generation of beer drinkers want.

 

[Fritter]

Every time i go to NY state i see less and less macro beer in the stores and more sections devoted to local craft beer, because that's what the new generation of beer drinkers want.

I have found that the grocery stores here in Ontario that now sell beer, have significant shelf space for craft beer, albeit, single cans, not cases of multiple cans/bottles.

 

[gabe]

I have found that the grocery stores here in Ontario that now sell beer, have significant shelf space for craft beer, albeit, single cans, not cases of multiple cases/bottles.

True. Isn't it great? i don't even bother with the LCBO, it's faster to grab some beer at the grocery store, especially on a Friday or Saturday. Some LCBO's only have one or two check outs open on a busy Friday night, you wait in line forever.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I look forward to the day the archaic Beer Store monopoly is gone! Today i had the difficult task of searching for a 24 case of craft beer for a party i'm hosting this weekend. The young hipster looking dude that assisted me understood my frustration of the lack of local craft beer in the Beer Store. 90% of the store was macro piss that no one drinks like Labatt Blue Lite and Molson OV, those beer drinkers are long dead! lol
Every time i go to NY state i see less and less macro beer in the stores and more sections devoted to local craft beer, because that's what the new generation of beer drinkers want.

From this link:

Though enshrined in Ontario’s liquor laws for close to 90 years, the Beer Store is now owned by three multinationals: Molson-Coors, Labatt (owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev) and Sleeman (owned by Japan’s Sapporo). While all three have breweries in Ontario, their ownership resides outside of the country.​

 

[Dan416]

Still no alcohol at my local No Frills. But the Walmart and Loblaws right next to the LCBO do. Ugh. Who plans this shit.

 

[Amare]

Still no alcohol at my local No Frills. But the Walmart and Loblaws right next to the LCBO do. Ugh. Who plans this shit.

We have to remember that the government was very reluctant to allow alcohol sales in grocery stores in the first place. I dont think they've really been putting in their best effort at selecting stores, and add to the fact that there are a limited amount of permits around for businesses to apply for.

That question might be better suited for Loblaws who picks the stores they want to submit their application with.

 

[stanko]

Here in Oakville we don't seem to have this problem. The Freshco and Longo's that I normally shop at were among the first in Ontario to sell beers and they were in underserved locations. Same with the two Fortinos locations who got them last year I believe. The closest Beer Store to me however is in the same plaza as a Sobeys that started selling beer last year too but that particular Beer Store is so bad that I only go there to return empties

It's weird to me why this saturation is more common in the 416. One would think that these grocers would prioritize underserved areas because that would give those particular stores more of a selling point. Maybe it's just me but I'm not that lazy of a person that making the few extra steps to an LCBO that's in the same plaza as the place I'm doing my grocery shopping is a lot to ask for, especially if I'm not fond of that grocery store's beer/wine offerings

 

[Towered]

I was surprised to see beer and cider available at the Starsky store on Dundas yesterday. Only thing is that at the checkout the beers I had picked out were rejected because it was after 6 pm, despite the store still being open. How does that make any sense whatsoever?

 

[Amare]

I was surprised to see beer and cider available at the Starsky store on Dundas yesterday. Only thing is that at the checkout the beers I had picked out were rejected because it was after 6 pm, despite the store still being open. How does that make any sense whatsoever?

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

 

[narduch]

I was surprised to see beer and cider available at the Starsky store on Dundas yesterday. Only thing is that at the checkout the beers I had picked out were rejected because it was after 6 pm, despite the store still being open. How does that make any sense whatsoever?

You can thank the Wynne Liberals for that. The sale hours are mandated by the LCBO .

The entire program is a joke. Totally convoluted way to introduce beer and wine to grocery stores.

There is no planning as to which stores get it. The chains bid on licenses and decide on their own where to implement it .

The government is only interested in the sale of the licenses.

 

[Northern Light]

You can thank the Wynne Liberals for that. The sale hours are mandated by the LCBO .

The entire program is a joke. Totally convoluted way to introduce beer and wine to grocery stores.

There is no planning as to which stores get it. The chains bid on licenses and decide on their own where to implement it .

The government is only interested in the sale of the licenses.

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)

I was surprised to see beer and cider available at the Starsky store on Dundas yesterday. Only thing is that at the checkout the beers I had picked out were rejected because it was after 6 pm, despite the store still being open. How does that make any sense whatsoever?

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.

 

[gabe]

This is just stupid...

Toronto grocery stores roped off their beer on Family Day

https://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2018/02/toronto-grocery-stores-roped-their-beer-family-day/

 

[narduch]

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.

Correct. I should have said the AGCO.

The sales times are still stupid though.

My hope is that eventually the restrictions will be loosened.

This is just stupid...

Toronto grocery stores roped off their beer on Family Day

https://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2018/02/toronto-grocery-stores-roped-their-beer-family-day/

Agreed. It would be nice to be treated like an adult by our government.

These restrictions make no sense.