The way you buy alcohol in Ontario will never be the same…
TL;DR
This is a very interesting/complicated topic I could speak for hours about.
It’s all about the MFA (Master Framework Agreement) which the government is changing in the next year or so. The current MFA is why you can really only buy booze at the LCBO, Beer Store of some grocery stores. Covid loosened up a few things which is why you can buy alcohol from restaurants, breweries and via E-Comm. Good times….
The MFA discussion you may be hearing about is really about two things: 1) who gets the money and 2) you, the customer.
1) Who gets the money? Right now its the Ontario Crown (LCBO) and 3 big foreign national beer companies like AB-InBev (The Beer Store). Then that goes to the Crown. MFA stands to open up Convenience Stores (like in the US, and frankly everywhere else in the world). For those making lots of money off Ontario alcohol, the current MFA is worth clinging on to. It’s a sweet deal.
2) You, the customer? Current MFA isn’t so good for us. Don’t get me wrong, I love shopping the LCBO to find new things, but I also love when I’m travelling and I can pop into any little corner store, bodega, gas station and buy a 6-pack or bottle of wine. Our alcohol relatively expensive and relatively tough to get relative to our peers. For us customers, out with the MFA. It’s not so sweet.
LCBO: sets all pricing for any alcoholic bevy in the province. Can’t bring it in or sell it without the LCBO saying so.
The Beer Store: the only place you can buy 12-packs and 24s. Its been closing locations and revenue has been declining YOY for a long time (hi Gen Z, health & wellness, not your dad’s beer).
Grocery: only 450 licenses exist to sell alcohol, which is why only some Loblaws or some Metros sell booze.
Then there’s local restaurants, local wineries, local breweries. I like those guys.
This is a classic example of not being a this OR that discussion, it is a this AND that discussion.
Here’s a good primer article if you want to get caught up.
I got my hands on a much longer article I’ll post next week.
https://lnkd.in/gyQ8_Pnt
Head of Human Interface and Design at Roar Social
2moLiquor stores already sell nonalcoholic mixers like soda and juice; it’s absurd to require special legislation to allow them to sell non-alcoholic versions of liquor and premixed cocktails.