LCBO
The LCBO has been around since the end of prohibition in Canada in 1927 and the first self-serve liquor store was in 1969. Since then, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has become the world’s largest single purchaser of beverage alcohol products, and serves as the provincial regulator for hard alcohol. LCBO stores can be found everywhere, selling mainly liquor, wine, spirits, and beer. All Ontario bars and restaurants must purchase their alcohol from the LCBO.
Recycling Program
Slowly phasing out its plastic shopping bags, the LCBO encourages customers to bring their own reusable shopping bags, which can also be purchased at the LCBO for a small fee. All stores provide a brown paper bag option for spontaneous shoppers.
Customers can also return empty bottles and receive money back: $0.20 for large bottles and $0.10 for small containers.
The Beer Store
In 1927, the same year that the LCBO was established, The Beer Store became the sales channel for beer in Ontario. Unlike most retailers, The Beer Store does not set its own prices – these are determined by the individual brewers. Any beer in the world can sell their beer in The Beer Store, and must adhere to the common rules for users and service fees based on their sold volumes. The Beer Store is controlled by two federal government agencies, the Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and the LCBO, who oversee operations such as minimum age for purchase, hours of sale, selling prices, advertising and promotions, labeling, product integrity and approval of store locations.
The Beer Store has a total of 7,400 employees, 438 stores, carries 346 brands that come from 89 brewers.
Environmental Leadership
The Beer Store is reported to have diverted a total of 70 billion beer bottles from Ontario landfills over its 80 years of operation (apparently, this is enough to stretch to the moon and back 25 times!). The Beer Store was proudly selected as Canada’s first recipient of the Environmental Choice Leadership Award for their efficient environmental package management system.
The company also manages to recover 99 per cent of their bottles, reusing them 12-15 times.
