Beer in Convenience Stores coming early

[midlife crisis]

Agree re the doom and gloom scenarios. Minimum pricing will never decrease or disappear so long as the health nannies are whining about the negative effects of better access and lower prices. There was yet another op-ed in the Star the other day advocating for higher prices, in fact. Regarding variety, at my Loblaws at least, in the past few weeks craft beer has all but disappeared, being replaced by macro six packs and ready-to-drink cocktail packs. Depressing.

[Cass]

Breweries starting to get the word out...got this from Collective Arts today.

[El Pinguino]

Meh.
Maybe if I'm in the middle of nowhere on a camping trip this will become beneficial.

Serious question though - how often do you actually shop at convenience stores anyways? I tend to avoid them, and their stupid high prices, except at gas stations about once a month.

[anthony9]

I never shop at convenience stores, but if there was a handful of somewhat nearby craft beer convenience stores like in Quebec, I'd probably go monthly. Though it seems like prices would never be in that neighbourhood.

[Cass]

Serious question though - how often do you actually shop at convenience stores anyways? I tend to avoid them, and their stupid high prices, except at gas stations about once a month.

I was thinking the same thing. I can't remember the last time I went to a convenience store that wasn't a gas station. I don't think I've gone with any regularity since I was a kid and I could walk to one from my parents' house.

[S. St. Jeb]

The only thing I ever use convenience stores for is ice a couple of times a year. I’m not fundamentally against beer in these stores, but it’s no benefit to me.

[Tapsucker]

The only thing I ever use convenience stores for is ice a couple of times a year. I’m not fundamentally against beer in these stores, but it’s no benefit to me.

Since my teacher is chronically underpaid and my school is falling apart and I can no longer go shoot up in safety, this is probably a good thing for me so I can pick up an alcopop and a lotto ticket quickly between classes without having to venture more than 200 metres.

[S. St. Jeb]

The only thing I ever use convenience stores for is ice a couple of times a year. I’m not fundamentally against beer in these stores, but it’s no benefit to me.

Since my teacher is chronically underpaid and my school is falling apart and I can no longer go shoot up in safety, this is probably a good thing for me so I can pick up an alcopop and a lotto ticket quickly between classes without having to venture more than 200 metres.

Good point. And walking more than 200 metres with your face in your phone brings its own hazards.

[MatttthewGeorge]

They will be "convenient" on holidays for when I poorly plan.

That's the extent of seeing myself using them.

[Cass]

Happy convenience store day.

I can't help but feel how massively anticlimactic this whole thing is. It's literally been a part of the Ontario political conversation since 1985 (if not earlier) and now feels like nobody cares anymore. (I get that the entire grocery thing took the wind out of the sails on it, but still.)

[Craig]

So long as distribution is still run through LCBO/TBS none of the changes like this are going to do much for me. You're not going to get those crafty Deps with incredible selection like you have in Quebec if they have to just order the same stuff everyone else can, right?

Come to think of it, I have no idea how involved the SAQ is in stuff like that. Anyone know?

[lister]

I never thought in my lifetime Ontario would finally be where it is now. (Boo on Ford for handing over taxpayers money to his corporate overlords to speed this up!) I'd visit all sorts of places in the USA and around the world where alcohol sales and consumption were nothing burgers: buy from private stores (grocery, convenience, specialty), takeout from bars, consumption in varying amounts of public spaces. I guess the last thing is hard liquor sales outside the LCBO (aside from the distillers themselves.) Plus changing how we get foreign alcohol into Ontario so it's easier. Living in downtown Toronto, I'm not really going to benefit much from convenience stores beer & wine availability. I have doubts any of them will specialize in high quality offerings. But I'm happy to be wrong.

I don't know if the SAQ is involved or not with private sales in Quebec. I don't visit a lot of deps anymore besides Rahman but what has always disappointed me is the lack of NY, VE, MA, ME, etc beers in Quebec. Based on our last visit to Montreal, two years ago, this looks to me largely to be the case still, including at the SAQ.

[anthony9]

I believe the SAQ gets a slice of every sale of alcohol in the province. At least with ordering from an agent, you need to pick up at an SAQ.

From one Quebec Agent:

What is the SAQ’s private import channel?
→
Intro
The SAQ’s private import process lets agents import products that are not commercialized in SAQ stores. Through this channel and thanks to the work of importing agents, a great variety of wine, beer, cider and spirits passes each year from SAQ warehouse to clients like you. To buy those products, you have to go through the import agency who will pass your order to SAQ. The desired cases will then be sent to your nearest preferred SAQ store.

How are prices determined?
The SAQ determines the final price at which it will sell the product based on the price charged by the supplier (i.e. the brewery). The prices displayed on our “Order” page are the prices determined by the SAQ, to which we add our agency fees and sometimes shipping costs.

[Craig]

Sounds a lot like how it is here then, though I wonder if the deps get to order directly from breweries if they like?

Access truly has come a long way in the last 10 years, it's so much better than it was. One thing I would love to see is a relaxing of provincial barriers in particular. There's no good reason why I shouldn't be allowed to have a brewery in Quebec or BC ship to my door, imo.

[BartOwl]

Last time I was in Montreal, I found it hard to find deps with a good beer selection. Sure there were a few, but you really had to search them out. I hope we get a better selection in Ontario convenience stores. We'll see. Now in the states, I can see a good selection of beer in many stores.