There was a nice back-and-forth yesterday between The Beer Store and the Ontario Convenience Stores Association over the sale of suds in corner stores. (If you're going to fight over something, just make it's something you're passionate about.)
The Beer Store’s Ted Moroz referenced a Beer Store research paper that says that drinkers should expect to pay $10 more per two to four if corner stores are allowed to sell suds. “Prices will go up. Make no mistake,” Ted says. Regulation allows for lower cost and better selection.
The OCSA says 70% of Ontarians, according to a December Angus Reid poll, want to see competition beyond just the LCBO and The Beer Store--which is owned by Labatt Brewing, Molson Coors Canada, and Sleeman Breweries. That was followed by another statement by The Beer Store--see, the OCSA is flip-flopping, having said previously that prices under a new system would go down. Then Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says during a factory tour she doesn’t want to open up the booze market to convenience stores, while Conservative leader Tim Hudak is in favour of it. See you at election time, we'll play some election night drinking games.
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