Montreal City Weblog

Kate 15:16 on 2023-05-03 Permalink Reply  

• shawn 15:21 on 2023-05-03 Permalink

  Big slippage for the CAQ in the latest Léger poll – apparently due in large part to outrage over the Quebec City third link cancellation, which amazes me. Anyway, one has to think if the decline is real and steady they’ll be looking around for something to win back that part of their base.

  But given Legault’s monopolistic approach on weed stores, I’m not thinking this is a thing they’d do.

• DeWolf 17:54 on 2023-05-03 Permalink

  Ending the SAQ monopoly is a touchy subject because it is a very good business in many ways, and there’s a certain equitability in the fact that it sells the same products at the same price throughout Quebec. But there are ways to allow private players in the market without undermining the SAQ. For example, Quebec distilleries have been lobbying for years to sell directly to consumers. Local breweries, wineries and cideries are already allowed to do this.

  You could also go one step further and take a BC-style approach by allowing private liquor stores to exist in conjunction with the SAQ. This would be especially good for anyone looking for specialty products that the SAQ doesn’t bother stocking, like niche liqueurs or spirits sought after by bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts.

  There are a lot of private wine importers who would love to no longer deal with the SAQ, which recently froze all new importers because their warehouses are full.

• Spi 18:15 on 2023-05-03 Permalink

  To say the SAQ has a complete monopoly is to not be aware of how the market has evolved since the pandemic and for the record plenty of private wine importers have moved on from the SAQ. There are countless small cafés, food counters and improvised cavists that have popped up the last few years by making use of pandemic era rules to sell wine directly to consumers. The SAQ has a monopoly on hard liquor only these days.

  Honestly I buy more wine from these small shops than I do from the SAQ these days.

  There are two issues at hand here the SAQ’s perceived monopoly in retailing products and its actually monopoly on importing along with it’s government backed ability to levy a tax on all alcohol that comes in.

• Ephraim 21:32 on 2023-05-03 Permalink

  I’m more upset with the small town situation where the gas station, corner store and SAQ all in one. But let’s be realistic about this, the government can make it’s money at the wholesale level and sell stores with territorial limits allowing no one to own more than 10% of the stores. I mean, the SAQ already uses resellers in small towns. Maybe that should really be more like the SQDC with delivery rather than corner stores selling it.

• DeWolf 10:51 on 2023-05-04 Permalink

  @Spi, private importers still need to import their wine through the SAQ, which charges a hefty handling fee. Which is why those new caves à vin that have popped up tend to be very expensive.

• Tim 13:15 on 2023-05-04 Permalink

  @DeWolf, are you aware that the SAQ handles all the shipping and storage for those private importers? Somebody explained it to me last year and I was impressed at the overall service. It sounded like a one stop shop that is very streamlined for smaller companies. Seems like money well spent if they handle all the complexities of shipping.

• Orr 15:20 on 2023-05-05 Permalink

  Still waiting for SAQ to take back the wine bottles that they themselves sell, for recycling.
  They make the government $2.2 billion in profits and sales taxes, so it’s not going to be that much of a financial hardship.
  SAQ even proudly announces their eco and green initiatives, but somehow bottle recycling isn’t one of them. A classic case of corporate #Greenwashing right there.

• Tim 15:57 on 2023-05-05 Permalink

  @Orr: be careful what you wish for: https://www.environnement.gouv.qc.ca/matieres/consigne-collecte/modernisation-consigne-en.htm