Montreal City Weblog

Kate 10:29 on 2024-03-28 Permalink Reply  

• MarcG 11:21 on 2024-03-28 Permalink

  I quit drinking on Jan 1st and it’s done me nothing but good. Here’s a book recommendation for anyone interested in the facts.

• Ian 12:04 on 2024-03-28 Permalink

  Worth noting,

  “Under the act (pdf, French only) that created the SAQ, the government corporation is required to pay an annual dividend to the Government of Quebec.

  All Quebecers benefit from this dividend because it is reinvested in various government programs, including health care and education, and a range of government services.

  In each of the last ten years, the SAQ has remitted a dividend of more than a billion dollars to the Quebec government. In fiscal 2022-2023, the amount was $1.426 billion.”

  …so even in this inflationary environment that is so bad the SAQ finds it necessary to increase prices they still pulled in 1.426 billion in profit.

  Marc, I’m apparently supporting the economy by drinking, contributing to the nearly billion and a half dollars dividend from the SAQ that benefits all Quebecers. Why do you hate Quebec?

• su 13:01 on 2024-03-28 Permalink

  The costs to society from alcohol consumption apparently outweigh the benefits. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/health-promotion-chronic-disease-prevention-canada-research-policy-practice/vol-40-no-5-6-2020/alcohol-deficit-canadian-government-revenue-societal-costs.html

• Ian 13:38 on 2024-03-28 Permalink

  I was, of course, joking. Looks like there’s a competition for the role of Prince Virtue around here.

  ;P

• Blork 15:41 on 2024-03-28 Permalink

  If my math is right (which it rarely is) that SAQ profit is around $170 for every human in Quebec. Given that many of those humans are children, and many of the adults don’t drink, it’s probably on the order of $1000-1500 or so per drinker. (I assume this includes revenues from all sources; SAQ outlets, bars, restaurants, etc.)

• carswell 16:46 on 2024-03-28 Permalink

  All kinds of factors at play here. The economy (and for most people beverage alcohol is a discretionary expense; if they’ve not stopped buying, they’re buying fewer or cheaper products). The ageing population (older people drink less). Changing tastes (older customers prefer spirits and wine, younger customers tend toward coolers, which are cheaper and have a smaller $ markup). Etc. The provincial government wants its dividend to continue growing, however, hence the recent increase in the markup and introduction of other money-making schemes (get ready for commercials on in-store sound systems).

  I find it interesting that by far the biggest drop in sales is to the grocery and convenience store network. Note that those are sales by the SAQ to the stores and may not correspond directly to sales to consumers. Without consumer sales data, it’s hard to know what this network has to say about consumer buying trends.

  @MarcG Old age and health issues have forced me to pause or maybe give up regular drinking since December. These days, I only consume alcohol at occasional weekend dinners with friends and usually limit myself to a glass or two over the course of the evening. Even that small amount is now enough to make me feel lightheaded. OTOH sleep has much improved. Society doesn’t really talk about it this way, but alcohol is a powerful drug.

• Kate 17:15 on 2024-03-28 Permalink

  Coolers will rot the brains of our youth.

• Ian 18:40 on 2024-03-28 Permalink

  Maybe we can make booze out of figs and cauliflower to make it less appealing.

• Kate 08:28 on 2024-03-29 Permalink

  Ian, now I want to try boukha but it’s not listed at the SAQ.

• Ian 13:52 on 2024-03-29 Permalink

  There are fig liqueurs too but the SAQ doesn’t carry them, either. Clearly a niche ripe for profit, no wonder sales are down.

• Blork 18:05 on 2024-03-29 Permalink

  Everytime I see a reference to “coolers” a voice in my head says “Thank yew for yor support,” which was the tagline for those two guys who advertised Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers back in the late 80s.