What can the LCBO learn from the B.C. experiment?

Recently I was in the Vancouver area and subsequently discovered the dual styles of the British Columbia liquor stores. They have two types of stores, one run by the
government (the B.C. liquor stores) and one private, just called Liquor Store, usually with a location name.

The government stores are generally larger, have good displays and lots of selection, very similar to our LCBO
stores. The prices are also better especially on hard liquor and imports. One would think it would be hard to compete with that, but that is exactly what is happening. The private stores are smaller but there are many more of them, the prices are higher but they often offer incentives, perhaps a free wine glass with each bottle purchased or a bag of ice to go with your bottle of rye. The selection in numbers of products is not as good but they do have items that the B.C. liquor stores don’t carry. As private stores each is run differently with different stock, incentives and personality. I found some that also sold ice, pop, chips and cigarettes, others only alcohol products. Service was always good and friendly but product knowledge was not as good, and generally it is better in the government stores (but not always).

Some stores pride themselves on their B.C. wines. Here it is possible to make direct deals with B.C. wineries for special prices, and carry B.C. wines that are made in too small a volume for the BCLB. If we had a system like it in Ontario it
would be great for the Ontario wineries.

In smaller communities the private stores are more about convenience. The stock might be limited to just the most popular brands. In most cases there is a government store not far away. Between the two it gives the customer choice and convenience.

In Ontario we have excellent LCBO stores with great vintages sections. If we adopted the B.C system the government would make the same, if not more money, and you and I the consumer would be the beneficiary. It would also create more employment in the private sector.

I am not in favour of total privatization like Alberta and many U.S. states, but the B.C. system offers the best of both worlds. All we need is a government that has the nerve to do it.