Buy Booze in BC Grocery Stores

[Nage Waza]

They are changing some liquor laws in BC so that you will be able to purchase alcohol in grocery stores (and other changes). This would be a welcome change in Alberta but could destroy the smaller liquor stores.

Hopefully this is taking place here.


http://tinyurl.com/drinkingatsafeway

[Tyler]

I dream of the day I can buy booze at Walmart

[Buzzard]

Originally Posted by Tyler

I dream of the day I can buy booze at Walmart

Yeah...at Mexican or American Walmart prices.

My dream would then be complete.

[Tyler]

Even at Canadian prices, they should be cheaper than any other liquor store

[JonDuke]

Man....Wal-Mart trips would definitely be more entertaining too with seeing the beer fiends loading up on a Sunday morning.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Even better is no more beer gardens at festivals (drinks anywhere you want), and no more ban on happy hours.

[evman150]

Ya, the grocery store one will have a huge delay cause I think they still have to get liquor licenses...which are not being handed out.

The only option right now is to invite private joints into the liquor store to set up shop, but I can't really see liquor stores giving up their big cushy spots for a little corner of a Safeway or Thrifty's.

The beer garden and happy hour thing is a way bigger deal.

[Nage Waza]

I was in the liquor business when it moved into the private retail space a long time ago. The battle to make that happen was fierce and I can see it even worse this time. I doubt smaller vendors could manage without their small monopoly. I doubt I would step foot into a liquor store again once my grocer carried booze.

Coles Notes: Don't buy a liquor store right now - good odds BC's move will spread to Alberta.

[Nage Waza]

Originally Posted by evman150

Ya, the grocery store one will have a huge delay cause I think they still have to get liquor licenses...which are not being handed out.

The only option right now is to invite private joints into the liquor store to set up shop, but I can't really see liquor stores giving up their big cushy spots for a little corner of a Safeway or Thrifty's.

The beer garden and happy hour thing is a way bigger deal.

Lots of liquor licenses going around, new shops opening all the time. Big Business I doubt will have a problem setting up shop.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by evman150

Ya, the grocery store one will have a huge delay cause I think they still have to get liquor licenses...which are not being handed out.

The only option right now is to invite private joints into the liquor store to set up shop, but I can't really see liquor stores giving up their big cushy spots for a little corner of a Safeway or Thrifty's.

The beer garden and happy hour thing is a way bigger deal.

Depends how they operate it. As an owner, you might be willing to take less profits if Safeway stocks your product and all you have to do is have a kiosk Cashier to handle transactions and write an order.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

This sounds so weird to me.

Here you can only get alcohol at the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission (including beer).

If you have a licence to produce alcohol you can sell it in your place of business (but only your own product). So a micro-brewery can sell their own beer; a winery can sell their own wine.

There are a few private liquor stores where their products need to be approved by the NSLC (usually stuff that the NSLC doesn't stock)

There are also a few rural liquor stores that are licensed by the NSLC that are in corner stores/gas stations.

But to go to Superstore to get beer, or the gas station down the street? Nope.

[Nufy]

In NFLD you can buy beer at the corner store but you have to go to the govt agency for booze.

Almost every state I have been in the US you can buy beer / booze anywhere. In Connecticut they would block sales after 8:00 pm.

[J epworth]

I thought this change was to allow like Safeway Liquor stores etc., like we already have in Alberta? Didn't think it was actually going to be American style where you can buy your beer in the back of the store next to the pop aisle.

Are we sure the change isn't just so they have stores like our Co-op liquor stores and such?

[Coys1882]

What's the rationale behind the separation anyway? It so odd having Safeway and Safeway liquor side by side but seperate buildings.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

Lots of liquor licenses going around, new shops opening all the time. Big Business I doubt will have a problem setting up shop.

Wrong. There are a set number of licenses going around. Very few of them are for sale unless you're willing to pay a stupid amount of money. Private stores are a license to print money so the only people willing to sell are people in dire straits for money or who have been offered a lot more than they are worth. This review threatened that, but with the way things have fallen it is unlikely to matter.

What the review has done is score political points while not pissing off a whole tonne of people (ABLE, the Alliance of Beverage Licences of BC figures it would be upwards of 10,000 jobs affected). They have told the people of BC that "A Grocery store can be made able to sell alcohol," which sounds awesome and will thrill everyone. Until you read into it. By suggesting a phased in method as well as not releasing any new licenses it is likely a long ways away until we see any change. The only immediate stuff you can expect is for Everything Wine to start moving within other Pattison owned businesses like Save-On or Pricesmart.

In the end, with the change most likely being "Store within a store" you won't see a lot of change in urban centers. Most malls in BC have a BCLDB which means there already is a store within a store method, and they will still charge cheaper prices than what a Safeway, Superstore or Save-On can charge with or without a 3rd party vendor (Separate private store operating within).

Alberta which doesn't have a Government monopoly would actually prosper a lot more under this method, but because BC is a total Government monopoly (Almost every dollar from a bottle of alcohol, whether Private or LDB still ends up going to the Government), the BC LDBs will still likely generate the most sales.

Originally Posted by J epworth kendal

I thought this change was to allow like Safeway Liquor stores etc., like we already have in Alberta? Didn't think it was actually going to be American style where you can buy your beer in the back of the store next to the pop aisle.

Are we sure the change isn't just so they have stores like our Co-op liquor stores and such?

The method has not been decided yet, but it is most likely the method they will go with. Go buy your groceries, turn around and go buy your alcohol then leave. It's actually not changing anything as far as convenience on number of stops.

[flamesfan6]

i don't care about the liquor stores in grocery stores because it really won't change anything, it doesn't change the convenience of buying groceries, and then going next door and buying your liquor as it is now, it will still be 2 separate transactions/trips.

the thing i do care about in these changes: happy hour - it's going to be nice having that in BC

[Turner]

A dream for those living in places like Grande Prairie. Buy your groceries, clothing, and liquor at the Wal-Mart. Don't forget to chug a beer in the car after shopping with your family.

[DownhillGoat]

I find it very odd that BC of all places is driving this change.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

They are changing some liquor laws in BC so that you will be able to purchase alcohol in grocery stores (and other changes). This would be a welcome change in Alberta but could destroy the smaller liquor stores.

Hopefully this is taking place here.


http://tinyurl.com/drinkingatsafeway

Not like I really care the other way, but just wondering why it'd be a big improvement. A lot of grocery stores have liquor stores unattached on the other end of the parking lot. There's multiple liquor stores per community, prices are fairly competitive (in fact, any real price increases happen when it's a provincial tax increase). As mentioned already, there's already so many more places to buy here than most other provinces. Not sure what putting them in the actual grocery stores would do for the consumer.

[MRCboicgy]

I think it would reduce choice/selection.