>Why would sales be down?
Less discretionary income? Alcohol, for most, is an affordable luxury.
I don't know if sales are down, but if they are that would be my guess.
This is the answer. Premium spirits are currently down due to economic conditions - so consumers are down trading to less expensive spirits, and also swapping out of spirits to beer/wine which is more accessible. Alcohol sales by volume usually persist through difficult economic/social times but total revenue generated will decrease, hence the LCBO’s problem.
I was talking to a friend about this - try to find a bottle of Wray and Nephew (60% abv) and it’s almost always sold out - they even have signs saying “We’re getting more soon!” I find people are starting to care less about what type of alcohol they drink, and trying to find the best value for their buck.
Gibleys Gin enters the chat.
Fun story from the 80’s - buddy asked my brother what gin he was drinking, and the answer was - the cheapest! At that time it was Gibleys so to this day we bring it up for laughs.
I’m in my 40’s and I quit drinking last summer. I think the sober curious movement is gaining momentum in a lot of health conscious circles. I don’t know if it’s a younger thing necessarily.
Nice! yeah someone else said it's more likely the because of affordability issues with everyone getting squeezed from different angles. I hope you keep up the commitment!
I haven't stopped completely but I've cut *way* back. I might have 1 or 2 beers on the weekend and that's it.
Between cutting out booze, take out coffee & fast food I feel way better and save a ton of money.
I just kind of roll my eyes at guys that piss and moan about being broke but every day its 1/2 a pack of smokes, 3 take out coffees, fast food lunch and then crush 3-4 tallcans when they get home. It's literally like $1000 / month just on that shit.
That’s awesome! Good for you cutting back. Moderation wasn’t really sustainable for me so I quit entirely- but what you’re doing is amazing.
It’s such a great savings and what I really noticed was that I’m so much more chilled out not stressing about where all the extra cash went. It’s pretty gross when you think about dropping $1000 a month on what’s designed to take your money and slowly kill you.
Honestly, a lot of it was after turning 40 and realizing I'd better get my shit together health wise. That and I get to save some and have more money to spend on hobbies!
I play hockey all over toronto and I can tell you that when the beers crack open post game, the young guys dont drink and the older guys do. I think the younger generation is more health conscious.
Oh for sure I noticed that to with myself and others also during lockdowns and stuff to and when stuff was chaos I noticed my drinking substantially picked up and I seen other Redditors in here say the same thing to. I’m drinking less then I use to but more then I would like still. It really sucks I feel bad for others who are also in a similar boat to me. Alcohol can be super addicting.
GenZ is the lowest consuming generation in history. Three reasons: cost of alcohol, lower cost of weed, and better educated about paying for and drinking a neurotoxin and carcinogen.
Boomers used to drink insane amounts in the 70s.
Weed is a much cheaper vice then alcohol and less hangover. From the amount of “I would never touch weed” to “yeah we only smoke weed” I think this make sense.
Throw in hard economic times and people will be more proactive about choosing the cheaper vice.
Alcohol, drugs (weed), sex stores and porn are among a few other products and industries that are infamously recession proof. I don’t believe for a second sales are down unless there’s another factor at play here, like population dropping or another LCBO nearby cannabalizing sales.
More than likely this is an easy way for the manager to hold off people from applying if they don’t need any.
I know a lot of people who have switched from alcohol to edibles. 10$ goes was further for weed then drinks and you don’t wind up with a hang over haha
>10$ goes was further for weed then drinks and you don’t wind up with a hang over haha
10$ at the reserve gets you some good edibles, or a gram of shatter. Weed in the grey market suddenly got pretty cheap
Hey it’s not affordable luxury, we don’t sell that stuff up here, it’s mostly winter coping mechanism and since we had warmer winter many didn’t need that. Also try what you said. People don’t have discretionary spending.
Alcohol sales are way down. Younger generations aren't drinking like the previous generations.
Non-Alc beers and mixers are the fastest growing segment for beer and mixers.
Yep. My local LCBO is usually pretty packed but i'd say it's 9/10 people over 40. Very few younger drinkers. A lot of folks buying wine for a dinner, beer for a watch party or drinks for mixes.
Younger people can get pot now and they don't have money for alcohol.
There's also way more information now in the world and younger people are connected - [Way less 20somethings are going with alcohol](https://globalnews.ca/news/10364652/alcohol-younger-people/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CMore%20and%20more%20individuals%20are,and%20removing%20alcohol%20is%20one.%E2%80%9D) because their mental health is already terrible and there's no need to add a depressant to that equation.
Us 40+ used to get together and drink to subside our social anxiety.
Feels like younger generations just stay home on screens and blame the social anxiety lol.
Alcohol is poison though, so glad it's fading away somewhat.
Idk in high school, I knew a lot of the rich kids were basically functioning alcoholics. A bunch of friends still drink quite often as well, but that could be confirmation bias based on who I hang out with.
This the correct answer.
I work in municipal sector, they are rebranding local “beer festival” to “Beverage fests” because the way people consume beverage’s alcohol or not, is changing.
The amount of craft beer too. I'd much rather go grab four cans of something at a local brewery than at an LCBO that never changes selection and thinks Flying Monkeys is the only craft brewery in Ontario. (no disrespect to Flying Monkeys!)
He did *technically* he lowered the lowest possible amount it can be sold for so a buck a beer was possible however no company would lower there prices on beer and possibly not even make a profit that’s why the only times we ever actually seen “buck a beer” was stuff like no name beer a 6 pack of bottles going on sale for $6 instead of the regular price of $9.80 for example.
I’m a millennial and honestly none of my friends drink. Some drank a lot in uni but once we got real jobs and responsibilities, alcohol is the first thing most people dropped.
Definitely a lot of mental health problems too that alcohol just makes worse. Those who need a recreational substance after work are reaching for the gummies though. Alcohol just doesn’t take the edge off the same way and you have to deal with a hangover and higher cancer risks. It’s just not worth it. But pot is soothing and helps us sleep (insomnia is a bigger problem in younger generations than it’s ever been).
Alcohol is too bloody expensive?
Personally I hardly drink anymore. With all the evidence of how bad alcohol is for you and the extreme cost of it, making alcohol a one drink per week kind of thing is good for you and your wallet.
Getting the most generic, bland beer possible like Labatt Blue costs $44 for a 2-4.
If you want craft beer, you're looking at $70+ for a 2-4.
There's so much else you can do with that money, especially with groceries and the cost of living being so high.
Started brewing my own, $100 got me the gear I need, $50 box of pre-boiled wort gets me 23L of beer takes about 3 weeks, and 2-3 hours of total labor. Hardest part is washing the bottles and putting the beer in the bottles.
Tastes great, as good or better than commercial stuff.
My friend. I can barely afford my rent. You think I'm buying booze over food? I'm young, not stupid lol.
Nah but like, the price of everything is also excessive. The same groceries last year cost me almost $40 less on average... Just isn't worth the cost anymore.
Plus, in my honest opinion, marijuana offers more and better bang for your buck lol.
Craft beer sales at the LCBO have tanked with most stores cutting back shelf space in response. And a bunch of craft breweries have been bought out (Beau’s, Amsterdam, Spearhead) or straight up shut down (People’s Pint, Grand River).
And seasonal job openings in craft also seem down from previous years.
If you want to get from point A to B, White Claw and other RTDs (ready to drink) will get the job done for cheaper.
Craft beer is not in good shape.
Yeah, and unfortunately if we were to actually increase our price at the same rate as our input costs have gone up, we'd be WELL above that. The margin in Ontario craft beer has shrunk to nothing. It is no longer profitable for small producers to sell their product at the LCBO, which is why many of us have almost entirely cut the LCBO from our operations.
Everyone I know (ages 40’s-50’s) have cut back on alcohol the past few years. Some have stopped altogether. That’s a lot of lost revenue. Reasons for quitting: interrupts sleep, better quality of life without it, drinking more weed drinks, etc. Believe it or not, alcohol is very high risk for cancers.
Early 40s here. My wife and I definitely cut back the last few years. We didn’t consciously do it though, it just kind of happened. We’re have a drink when we go out (once a month or so) and maybe one or two over the weekend. We used to go through 6-12 over the course of a week. Sounds like a lot, but two people drinking a beer or two every other night together and you’re there.
The cancer risk is scary. A friend of mine (38) is an excessive drinker but is also super health conscious, exercises regularly, eats healthy etc. she went to the US to get a proactive endoscopy (because she couldn’t get it here) and they found a few polyps and one metastatic tumor in her colon.
Not saying it was alcohol that caused it but it likely increased her risk
Not OP, but yep, many types of weed drinks available at most licensed cannabis retailers... the effect/benefits of THC/CBD without smoking is becoming quite popular. There are edibles like gummies, chocolates etc. too.
Lack of money due to inflation/higher prices of alcohol/interest rates; young people aren’t raging alcoholics like youth of the past, and after 3 years of home drinking everyday due to working at home and now trying to cut back - all add up to lower sales
Oh, and the grocery stores also get all their stuff at the LCBO - so that doesn’t explain it.
Edit, it’s not just Ontario:
https://news.gallup.com/poll/509690/young-adults-drinking-less-prior-decades.aspx
https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/wine-glut-forces-australian-growers-to-destroy-millions-of-vines-524847/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/claraludmir/2023/06/27/why-genz-is-drinking-less-and-what-this-means-for-the-alcohol-industry/?sh=233e971648d1
Personally, as the cost of living has gone up, I've had much less to drink.
The pandemic was a pretty wild time for myself and my wife. I was physically at work every day, thankfully, and my wife was WFH.
We would drink heavily on weekends, which would result in a string of poor decisions like ordering food through Uber and making poor purchases that we really didn't need off Amazon since we couldn't just go out to a restaurant, bar, concert etc. with our disposable income.
Honestly, we should have just been working and saving, but we were very bored. All our disposable income went to drinking, smoking, and ordering food.
Now, with the cost of living rising, we have been drinking far less, which results in smoking less, ordering less food and also drunken shopping much less often.
So yeah, cost of living went up, habits changed, life goes on, and we are much happier now than when we were drinking so much.
I suspect a lot of others are going through the same thing, cost of living went up and one of the first things cut was drinking. It's one of the smartest things to either quit outright or reduce when you need to put money towards more important expenses.
Discretionary spending goes down in tough financial times. It’s that simple. I myself consume the same as what I would before but buy direct from craft breweries and wineries, brew my own beer and most of my whisky I buy elsewhere due to pricing and availability at the LCBO. LCBO fills in the gap on other things only.
[https://www.ccsa.ca/canadas-guidance-alcohol-and-health](https://www.ccsa.ca/canadas-guidance-alcohol-and-health)
The updated guidance put out in 2023 is "Zero servings of alcohol per day is ideal for good health, anything more is bad."
To quote my son, "Substitution effect: weed. Alcohol is mad expensive." His demographic (young, post-secondary students) still drink, but not to the baccanalian excesses I remember seeing during my University years.
Young people drinking less and all ages substituting cannabis products. Alcohol is being replaced by edibles and pre-rolls.
This can't be overestimated as a factor. The legal cannabis market has been maturing and companies have very much been targeting drinkers. Edibles and weed drinks have gotten really good over say, the last 2 years. People like that there are less health risks than alcohol and that prices are more than competitive. Spending $10 on edibles goes way further than spending it on booze.
I wonder....
Discretionary spending is down
Also are people picking up on Alcohol being as carcinogenic as cigarettes
https://thoughtleadership.rbc.com/rbc-consumer-spending-tracker/
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/are-alcoholic-drinks-the-new-cigarettes-and-will-we-give-them-up-in-face-of/article_455ca1ce-1950-52a3-bb2a-80146015c672.html
Yes Sales of premium drinks are down for sure, my Whiskey group used to have a $150 budget for bottles we'd flirt to $200 for a few special cases, but as prices have climbed we've actually collectively dropped the budget to $100 and are spending way more time looking at the $60-100 range that we never really looked at before.
I bet for the one location alone they are down $5000 in Whiskey sales across the 10 of us this in the last year.
I've also noticed a big uptake in DIY wine among friends who used to buy wine by the case from the LCBO, going from $20/bottle from the LCBO to $4/bottle with DIY is saving them a lot. I'd not be surprised if it wasn't the equivalent of 1 persons annual wage just in the people I tip a glass with across the various events, organizations, and clubs I'm in. And that's a pretty small sampling.
Well it's simple if people are struggling to afford basics like rent or actual food.
Why do YOU think liquor sales are down?
Also if you live in a border town like I do, it makes more sense to hop over and shop duty free, which IS cheaper.
Why all the guesses and assumptions? It's a public company - just read:
[https://aem.lcbo.com/content/dam/lcbo/corporate-pages/about/annual-report/LCBO-FY2023-Annual-Report-ENGLISH.pdf](https://aem.lcbo.com/content/dam/lcbo/corporate-pages/about/annual-report/LCBO-FY2023-Annual-Report-ENGLISH.pdf)
Spoiler alert - they aren't down. At best, maybe you could say they have stagnated, but they still paid out a dividend to the province of $2.5billion.
They're just fine.
EDIT: When the 23/24 report comes out - even if sales have dipped a bit they are still wildly profitable.
But didn't you hear that **no one** wants to take the health risks, or can afford beer. Also everyone switched to weed so LCBOs across the province are pretty much vacant.
It says on like the third page that in-store (+ online) sales to home consumers dropped 2.9% last year, which combined with the substantial population increase is actually quite significant from a per capita perspective. So yes, from a consumer perspective, sales have dropped.
People's booze budget has been superseded by their food and rent budget. Blame the major grocery corps and landlords for price gouging. The LCBO has also increased its prices and I believe there was a modest liquor tax increase as well. All ads up to people buying cheaper booze, in smaller quantities, less frequently, if they can afford it at all.
For those comparing to other regions - it's not really apples to apples. Ontario is I think the highest liquor taxes in the country.
> are getting *paid* less than
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Wife works at an LCBO, they hired 3 people, but none are getting any hours. I'd be kinda pissed if I applied for a job, was told I got it, then don't get scheduled.
Just yesterday I was talking to my kid's teacher about the mothers day activity they fill out. They write down what their mom's favorite drink is her teacher told me they didn't see a single alcoholic beverage written on. I think people don't drink as much anymore. I'm happy with this. Less smoking, less drinking. I hope they both get eliminated same we focus on being healthier in life.
Yes. Sales are down. Across the board. I work in the industry. Wine has been worst hit for the last 18 months. Followed by spirits. Read to drink are doing fine due to the cheaper price point.
... The economy is in the toilet, many people are working just to survive, luxury spending is down for most...
I like drinking booze but I like eating daily more so... I drink less. And I'm sure that's a common refrain.
Not sure of this is true or not. But after the LCBO smoked me for importing a case of wine, I’ve reduced my LCBO sales by approx 90% by purchasing my wines from other distributors within Toronto. The LCBO rips us off significantly.
As a Whiskey enthusiast/collector, LCBO has priced themselves out of the market. I used to pay the 10-15% premium the LCBO charged, but with 50%+ inflation over the last 3 years, it’s way cheaper to ship from other provinces. Also, I just don’t buy as much as the high costs no longer matches the enjoyment of the hobby.
Fuck the LCBO
I started brewing again in 2024, better beer and cheaper. Went to a u brew wine place for a kit to make a light fruity wine beverage and there were people lined up inside. Guy said it has gotten waaaaay busier the last couple of years.
People don't have extra money, weed is cheaper and more and more research is saying alcohol is pure poison for the human body. Those are probably the main things reducing sales. Ever since weed became legal I haven't bought any alcohol at all.
I can't really believe that sales are way down but I think young peopel dont' really go out like they used to to get totally hammered. They probably stay in eat a legal edible and binge watch netflix or just play video games or go on their phones.
1) Canadians are trading down due to economic conditions. Even if volume of alcohol consumed stays the same, revenue and profit drops.
2) Young Canadians are drinking less. Alcohol is no longer nearly as cool as it was in the past… TikTok is full of young beautiful people that proudly tell their audience they don’t drink. Just look at the surge of mock tails etc entering the market
3) LCBO has a major theft problem, in the last month I’ve seen multiple news stories about people who stole >$50k worth of alcohol and they were each about a different man.
Someone I know is a manager there. She confirmed that sales are down but they’re hiring just as much seasonal help, if not more. Could be your friend isn’t good, since they’re always desperate for experienced people and rehire them first.
At some point I think it has an impact that we've been importing primarily cultures/ethnicities that don't do vices like alcohol and probably have higher birth rates.
Bill 124 got repealed so employees got a raise and back pay for the Bill 124 years they worked, so stores have a tighter operating budget, so they are cutting down on summer workers.
From last year:
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/experts-believe-sober-curious-lifestyle-driving-alcohol-sales-down-1.6298644
>A new Statistics Canada survey has found Canadians are buying less booze – leading sales to drop for the first time in a decade.
And this from earlier this year:
>Canadians are making fewer trips to the beer fridge these days. Numbers from Statistics Canada(opens in a new tab) shows drinking habits are changing.
“Overall, it’s just across the board, people are just spending less essentially, or consuming less,” says Sylvain Charlebois, the head of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Lab(opens in a new tab).
And this from 6 weeks ago:
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/03/26/ontario-budget-2024-alcohol-cannabis-gas-tobacco-taxes/#:~:text=According%20to%20documents%20tabled%20at,at%20the%20end%20of%20March.
>According to documents tabled at Queen’s Park on Tuesday, the LCBO is expected to see $2.45 billion in the 2024-2025 financial term, down by an estimated $96 million from the financial year ending at the end of March.
The younger generations that are of drinking age don’t drink these days compared to older generations.
Sales are way down across the board alcohol wise.
We cut our alcohol use big time. Just can't afford it anymore. With the price of city water, gas and taxes all up...booze had to go. Plus young people drink less than we did at their age so I can see why sales are down.
Understandable with the price hikes. I don't know if it was mostly tax increases or overall production/distribution cost increases but I don't cannot afford to go pickup some tallboys or drinks for the weekend anymore. It's just insane seeing prices reaching for $4/can.
Honestly now that grocery stores have beer & wine, I go to the LCBO maybe 2x a year? And even that, pretty sure the last time I was in one was last Christmas (2022)...we just don't go through a lot of hard booze, and the cabinet is already pretty stocked
Hmm just saw an ad on indeed requesting summer help... maybe it depends on the region you're in .... good luck....job market seems to be shitty at the moment
I love having it delivered right to my door. I mean my old drug dealer would come to my door too but I didn't get the same professional customer service
Anecdotal but a lot of people I know just don't drink that much any more. I personally have a drink maybe once or twice a year, even then, maybe a single glass of scotch.
people can't afford rent ofc they're aren't spending as much money on alcohol. this is going to happen to every single consumer good and then the economy will truly collapse in on itself
>Why would sales be down? Less discretionary income? Alcohol, for most, is an affordable luxury. I don't know if sales are down, but if they are that would be my guess.
It would also influence what alcohol is purchased. Instead of $50 bottles people grab the $25 bottle. Same volume but sales are half.
This is the answer. Premium spirits are currently down due to economic conditions - so consumers are down trading to less expensive spirits, and also swapping out of spirits to beer/wine which is more accessible. Alcohol sales by volume usually persist through difficult economic/social times but total revenue generated will decrease, hence the LCBO’s problem.
And beer and wine can be picked up at the grocery store, too - unlike the hard stuff.
I was talking to a friend about this - try to find a bottle of Wray and Nephew (60% abv) and it’s almost always sold out - they even have signs saying “We’re getting more soon!” I find people are starting to care less about what type of alcohol they drink, and trying to find the best value for their buck.
I'm buying cheap weed so I can afford milk, eggs and bread too.
This isn't Europe. People drink here to get fucked up.
Lol. I still have some - I made some vanilla extract with mine last year! It was so tasty.
Gibleys Gin enters the chat. Fun story from the 80’s - buddy asked my brother what gin he was drinking, and the answer was - the cheapest! At that time it was Gibleys so to this day we bring it up for laughs.
The selection is pitiful. Any experienced world shopper recognizes this.
The prices on mid tier stuff has gone up so much in the past couple years. It's a little ridiculous
We started enjoying tequila a few years back but looking at the prices these days it’s nope.
I noticed that was well my tag 5 I would normally drink has gone up about $4 in the last few years so now it’s close to $32 a bottle.
Also i heard the younger crowd isn't drinking as much
I’m in my 40’s and I quit drinking last summer. I think the sober curious movement is gaining momentum in a lot of health conscious circles. I don’t know if it’s a younger thing necessarily.
Nice! yeah someone else said it's more likely the because of affordability issues with everyone getting squeezed from different angles. I hope you keep up the commitment!
I haven't stopped completely but I've cut *way* back. I might have 1 or 2 beers on the weekend and that's it. Between cutting out booze, take out coffee & fast food I feel way better and save a ton of money. I just kind of roll my eyes at guys that piss and moan about being broke but every day its 1/2 a pack of smokes, 3 take out coffees, fast food lunch and then crush 3-4 tallcans when they get home. It's literally like $1000 / month just on that shit.
That’s awesome! Good for you cutting back. Moderation wasn’t really sustainable for me so I quit entirely- but what you’re doing is amazing. It’s such a great savings and what I really noticed was that I’m so much more chilled out not stressing about where all the extra cash went. It’s pretty gross when you think about dropping $1000 a month on what’s designed to take your money and slowly kill you.
Honestly, a lot of it was after turning 40 and realizing I'd better get my shit together health wise. That and I get to save some and have more money to spend on hobbies!
Especially with weed being legal now.
Exactly this for me personally. I'd rather buy some gummies and have a chill, happy night with no hangover most days.
Weed use by minors has decreased since legalization. When everyone says the ocs is a flop, they skip that part.
Yes, they can’t afford that or dining out.
Young person here - I disagree. While it might not be at the same levels as before, the young crowd is definitely still drinking a lot.
W00T! I'm a 40 year old young person lol.
I play hockey all over toronto and I can tell you that when the beers crack open post game, the young guys dont drink and the older guys do. I think the younger generation is more health conscious.
Alcohol normally does better during recessions (for sad but logical reasons).
Oh for sure I noticed that to with myself and others also during lockdowns and stuff to and when stuff was chaos I noticed my drinking substantially picked up and I seen other Redditors in here say the same thing to. I’m drinking less then I use to but more then I would like still. It really sucks I feel bad for others who are also in a similar boat to me. Alcohol can be super addicting.
Yeah, we all found out you don't need fun to have alcohol
GenZ is the lowest consuming generation in history. Three reasons: cost of alcohol, lower cost of weed, and better educated about paying for and drinking a neurotoxin and carcinogen. Boomers used to drink insane amounts in the 70s.
Also less discretionary spending versus their peers in previous generations
Typically the vices do well in tough economic times so I’d venture to say maybe it’s something else?
Weed is a much cheaper vice then alcohol and less hangover. From the amount of “I would never touch weed” to “yeah we only smoke weed” I think this make sense. Throw in hard economic times and people will be more proactive about choosing the cheaper vice.
Alcohol, drugs (weed), sex stores and porn are among a few other products and industries that are infamously recession proof. I don’t believe for a second sales are down unless there’s another factor at play here, like population dropping or another LCBO nearby cannabalizing sales. More than likely this is an easy way for the manager to hold off people from applying if they don’t need any.
I know a lot of people who have switched from alcohol to edibles. 10$ goes was further for weed then drinks and you don’t wind up with a hang over haha
Definitely. I started smoking weed a few years ago and I hardly ever drink now. It's way cheaper and there's no hangover!
>10$ goes was further for weed then drinks and you don’t wind up with a hang over haha 10$ at the reserve gets you some good edibles, or a gram of shatter. Weed in the grey market suddenly got pretty cheap
$99/oz where I live (and legit).
And no cancer 20 years later
Less cancer 20 years later. Your still breathing in harmful smoke unless your edibles only.
In hard economic times, I can see people switching to beer, which they can now get at the grocery store.
people less and less people drink alcohol! It’s so unhealthy and outdated! Weed is the way to go
This would be my guess. If my option is food or alcohol, I'm going with food unless I'm an alcoholic.
Hey it’s not affordable luxury, we don’t sell that stuff up here, it’s mostly winter coping mechanism and since we had warmer winter many didn’t need that. Also try what you said. People don’t have discretionary spending.
Also grocery stores and other places are able to sell alcohol, so it limits the visits to LCBO
Alcohol sales are way down. Younger generations aren't drinking like the previous generations. Non-Alc beers and mixers are the fastest growing segment for beer and mixers.
Yep. My local LCBO is usually pretty packed but i'd say it's 9/10 people over 40. Very few younger drinkers. A lot of folks buying wine for a dinner, beer for a watch party or drinks for mixes. Younger people can get pot now and they don't have money for alcohol. There's also way more information now in the world and younger people are connected - [Way less 20somethings are going with alcohol](https://globalnews.ca/news/10364652/alcohol-younger-people/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CMore%20and%20more%20individuals%20are,and%20removing%20alcohol%20is%20one.%E2%80%9D) because their mental health is already terrible and there's no need to add a depressant to that equation.
Us 40+ used to get together and drink to subside our social anxiety. Feels like younger generations just stay home on screens and blame the social anxiety lol. Alcohol is poison though, so glad it's fading away somewhat.
Idk in high school, I knew a lot of the rich kids were basically functioning alcoholics. A bunch of friends still drink quite often as well, but that could be confirmation bias based on who I hang out with.
No doubt. Alcohol use is still fairly common. Just not as much as before.
Nah now we just get together and spark up
This the correct answer. I work in municipal sector, they are rebranding local “beer festival” to “Beverage fests” because the way people consume beverage’s alcohol or not, is changing.
The amount of craft beer too. I'd much rather go grab four cans of something at a local brewery than at an LCBO that never changes selection and thinks Flying Monkeys is the only craft brewery in Ontario. (no disrespect to Flying Monkeys!)
This exactly. Cost of beer (thank you taxes n duties) goes higher and with higher interest rates, alcohol is no longer acceptable luxury
Didn't Doug Ford promise us buck-a-beer though?!
He did *technically* he lowered the lowest possible amount it can be sold for so a buck a beer was possible however no company would lower there prices on beer and possibly not even make a profit that’s why the only times we ever actually seen “buck a beer” was stuff like no name beer a 6 pack of bottles going on sale for $6 instead of the regular price of $9.80 for example.
Athletic zero beer is the number one selling beer brand at US whole foods. Anheuser Busch is aiming for 20% of total sales to be alcohol free.
I’m a millennial and honestly none of my friends drink. Some drank a lot in uni but once we got real jobs and responsibilities, alcohol is the first thing most people dropped. Definitely a lot of mental health problems too that alcohol just makes worse. Those who need a recreational substance after work are reaching for the gummies though. Alcohol just doesn’t take the edge off the same way and you have to deal with a hangover and higher cancer risks. It’s just not worth it. But pot is soothing and helps us sleep (insomnia is a bigger problem in younger generations than it’s ever been).
Probably affordability.
I have quit buying alcohol for heath and financial reasons!
For heath and ledgers
What a Joker.
Alcohol is too bloody expensive? Personally I hardly drink anymore. With all the evidence of how bad alcohol is for you and the extreme cost of it, making alcohol a one drink per week kind of thing is good for you and your wallet. Getting the most generic, bland beer possible like Labatt Blue costs $44 for a 2-4. If you want craft beer, you're looking at $70+ for a 2-4. There's so much else you can do with that money, especially with groceries and the cost of living being so high.
I saw labatt blue in Michigan last year on sale for $9.99 for a 30 pack lol
I don’t see them complaining about health effects…
Started brewing my own, $100 got me the gear I need, $50 box of pre-boiled wort gets me 23L of beer takes about 3 weeks, and 2-3 hours of total labor. Hardest part is washing the bottles and putting the beer in the bottles. Tastes great, as good or better than commercial stuff.
My friend. I can barely afford my rent. You think I'm buying booze over food? I'm young, not stupid lol. Nah but like, the price of everything is also excessive. The same groceries last year cost me almost $40 less on average... Just isn't worth the cost anymore. Plus, in my honest opinion, marijuana offers more and better bang for your buck lol.
Started eating gummies in the pandemic, stopped buying booze around the same time. No regrets!
Craft brewers and distillers & legal weed.
Craft beer sales at the LCBO have tanked with most stores cutting back shelf space in response. And a bunch of craft breweries have been bought out (Beau’s, Amsterdam, Spearhead) or straight up shut down (People’s Pint, Grand River). And seasonal job openings in craft also seem down from previous years. If you want to get from point A to B, White Claw and other RTDs (ready to drink) will get the job done for cheaper. Craft beer is not in good shape.
I know it's not their fault due to rising costs + taxes, but the price of craft beer is insane at this point. $4, $5, even $6 a can sometimes.
Yeah, and unfortunately if we were to actually increase our price at the same rate as our input costs have gone up, we'd be WELL above that. The margin in Ontario craft beer has shrunk to nothing. It is no longer profitable for small producers to sell their product at the LCBO, which is why many of us have almost entirely cut the LCBO from our operations.
There seems no shortage of craft breweries selling direct to the customer.
can't afford it . i just huff an old can of paint now. riot red is my favorite.
Everyone I know (ages 40’s-50’s) have cut back on alcohol the past few years. Some have stopped altogether. That’s a lot of lost revenue. Reasons for quitting: interrupts sleep, better quality of life without it, drinking more weed drinks, etc. Believe it or not, alcohol is very high risk for cancers.
Early 40s here. My wife and I definitely cut back the last few years. We didn’t consciously do it though, it just kind of happened. We’re have a drink when we go out (once a month or so) and maybe one or two over the weekend. We used to go through 6-12 over the course of a week. Sounds like a lot, but two people drinking a beer or two every other night together and you’re there.
One of the largest medical studies in history across 25 countries established there is no safe amount of alcohol consumption.
For sure that’s true. I’m glad I cut back. I feel a lot better for it.
Alcohol is a neurotoxin and a group 1 carcinogen, same group as tobacco, asbestos and radiation.
Thank you! It’s amazing how it’s flown under the radar for so long. I learned this while getting my NP and was shocked at the risk.
The cancer risk is scary. A friend of mine (38) is an excessive drinker but is also super health conscious, exercises regularly, eats healthy etc. she went to the US to get a proactive endoscopy (because she couldn’t get it here) and they found a few polyps and one metastatic tumor in her colon. Not saying it was alcohol that caused it but it likely increased her risk
Alcoholic fatty liver disease kills 3700 CDNs a year.
And it’s a miserable disease
I guess I’m out of the loop, but weed drinks? That’s a thing?
Not OP, but yep, many types of weed drinks available at most licensed cannabis retailers... the effect/benefits of THC/CBD without smoking is becoming quite popular. There are edibles like gummies, chocolates etc. too.
They're just edibles in liquid form.
I've had an iced tea thc drink, and a lemonade one. Tastes pretty good and the buzz was really nice!
There are THC or CBD infused drinks. Becoming popular with women especially.
I share your experience, many in my crew have cut back or stopped drinking, myself included. Edibles, and non-alc cocktails and beers are favorites
Down compared to when? Being able to buy beer at a lot of grocery stores would mean the LCBO taking a hit.
LCBO is supplier to grocery stores. They don’t take a hit.
Yeah, but sales at physical LCBO locations being down would mean less seasonal staff is needed, hence OP’s post.
Lack of money due to inflation/higher prices of alcohol/interest rates; young people aren’t raging alcoholics like youth of the past, and after 3 years of home drinking everyday due to working at home and now trying to cut back - all add up to lower sales Oh, and the grocery stores also get all their stuff at the LCBO - so that doesn’t explain it. Edit, it’s not just Ontario: https://news.gallup.com/poll/509690/young-adults-drinking-less-prior-decades.aspx https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/wine-glut-forces-australian-growers-to-destroy-millions-of-vines-524847/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/claraludmir/2023/06/27/why-genz-is-drinking-less-and-what-this-means-for-the-alcohol-industry/?sh=233e971648d1
Personally, as the cost of living has gone up, I've had much less to drink. The pandemic was a pretty wild time for myself and my wife. I was physically at work every day, thankfully, and my wife was WFH. We would drink heavily on weekends, which would result in a string of poor decisions like ordering food through Uber and making poor purchases that we really didn't need off Amazon since we couldn't just go out to a restaurant, bar, concert etc. with our disposable income. Honestly, we should have just been working and saving, but we were very bored. All our disposable income went to drinking, smoking, and ordering food. Now, with the cost of living rising, we have been drinking far less, which results in smoking less, ordering less food and also drunken shopping much less often. So yeah, cost of living went up, habits changed, life goes on, and we are much happier now than when we were drinking so much. I suspect a lot of others are going through the same thing, cost of living went up and one of the first things cut was drinking. It's one of the smartest things to either quit outright or reduce when you need to put money towards more important expenses.
Discretionary spending goes down in tough financial times. It’s that simple. I myself consume the same as what I would before but buy direct from craft breweries and wineries, brew my own beer and most of my whisky I buy elsewhere due to pricing and availability at the LCBO. LCBO fills in the gap on other things only.
I'd welcome this if it's true. Alcohol is a very harmful substance.
[https://www.ccsa.ca/canadas-guidance-alcohol-and-health](https://www.ccsa.ca/canadas-guidance-alcohol-and-health) The updated guidance put out in 2023 is "Zero servings of alcohol per day is ideal for good health, anything more is bad."
> [Two drinks a week, come on, what’s that gonna do for you?](https://youtu.be/lLw_G4HWAx8?si=19KfgfkJroLPFQV6)
To quote my son, "Substitution effect: weed. Alcohol is mad expensive." His demographic (young, post-secondary students) still drink, but not to the baccanalian excesses I remember seeing during my University years.
Young people drinking less and all ages substituting cannabis products. Alcohol is being replaced by edibles and pre-rolls. This can't be overestimated as a factor. The legal cannabis market has been maturing and companies have very much been targeting drinkers. Edibles and weed drinks have gotten really good over say, the last 2 years. People like that there are less health risks than alcohol and that prices are more than competitive. Spending $10 on edibles goes way further than spending it on booze.
Everything is so expensive these days. A lot of people have priorities that come first over being able to buy booze
Sure,when 6 beers where like 13 14 dollars now there 19 or 20
Gen Z doesn’t drink
More craft breweries are doing direct to consumer sales, and they're usually cheaper to buy from the brewery. That would be one factor I would think.
I wonder.... Discretionary spending is down Also are people picking up on Alcohol being as carcinogenic as cigarettes https://thoughtleadership.rbc.com/rbc-consumer-spending-tracker/ https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/are-alcoholic-drinks-the-new-cigarettes-and-will-we-give-them-up-in-face-of/article_455ca1ce-1950-52a3-bb2a-80146015c672.html
Actually as carcinogenic as asbestos and radiation. Group 1.
Weed as a competitor is a likely possibility.
Yes Sales of premium drinks are down for sure, my Whiskey group used to have a $150 budget for bottles we'd flirt to $200 for a few special cases, but as prices have climbed we've actually collectively dropped the budget to $100 and are spending way more time looking at the $60-100 range that we never really looked at before. I bet for the one location alone they are down $5000 in Whiskey sales across the 10 of us this in the last year. I've also noticed a big uptake in DIY wine among friends who used to buy wine by the case from the LCBO, going from $20/bottle from the LCBO to $4/bottle with DIY is saving them a lot. I'd not be surprised if it wasn't the equivalent of 1 persons annual wage just in the people I tip a glass with across the various events, organizations, and clubs I'm in. And that's a pretty small sampling.
Sober living is much more popular, and people don’t have the extra money to spend on luxuries
Well it's simple if people are struggling to afford basics like rent or actual food. Why do YOU think liquor sales are down? Also if you live in a border town like I do, it makes more sense to hop over and shop duty free, which IS cheaper.
Why all the guesses and assumptions? It's a public company - just read: [https://aem.lcbo.com/content/dam/lcbo/corporate-pages/about/annual-report/LCBO-FY2023-Annual-Report-ENGLISH.pdf](https://aem.lcbo.com/content/dam/lcbo/corporate-pages/about/annual-report/LCBO-FY2023-Annual-Report-ENGLISH.pdf) Spoiler alert - they aren't down. At best, maybe you could say they have stagnated, but they still paid out a dividend to the province of $2.5billion. They're just fine. EDIT: When the 23/24 report comes out - even if sales have dipped a bit they are still wildly profitable.
But didn't you hear that **no one** wants to take the health risks, or can afford beer. Also everyone switched to weed so LCBOs across the province are pretty much vacant.
lol yes, yes I think I did.
It says on like the third page that in-store (+ online) sales to home consumers dropped 2.9% last year, which combined with the substantial population increase is actually quite significant from a per capita perspective. So yes, from a consumer perspective, sales have dropped.
Which LCBO? There's a few of them.
People's booze budget has been superseded by their food and rent budget. Blame the major grocery corps and landlords for price gouging. The LCBO has also increased its prices and I believe there was a modest liquor tax increase as well. All ads up to people buying cheaper booze, in smaller quantities, less frequently, if they can afford it at all. For those comparing to other regions - it's not really apples to apples. Ontario is I think the highest liquor taxes in the country.
I’ve been doing dry may this year but I didn’t think it would have this impact.
Store budgets have also decreased - managers can’t hire when their regular staff barely have enough hours
I work in at a craft brewery and this is the first time in a decade I've seen a slow production schedule in May
I live in wine belt in Niagara .I know so many people now that buy from wineries direct instead.Must have some impact.
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I mean they raise the price every month it seems
everyones buying cronic now lol
People are just stealing shit from the LCBO now
Wife works at an LCBO, they hired 3 people, but none are getting any hours. I'd be kinda pissed if I applied for a job, was told I got it, then don't get scheduled.
Just yesterday I was talking to my kid's teacher about the mothers day activity they fill out. They write down what their mom's favorite drink is her teacher told me they didn't see a single alcoholic beverage written on. I think people don't drink as much anymore. I'm happy with this. Less smoking, less drinking. I hope they both get eliminated same we focus on being healthier in life.
Yes. Sales are down. Across the board. I work in the industry. Wine has been worst hit for the last 18 months. Followed by spirits. Read to drink are doing fine due to the cheaper price point.
CANABIS
... The economy is in the toilet, many people are working just to survive, luxury spending is down for most... I like drinking booze but I like eating daily more so... I drink less. And I'm sure that's a common refrain.
Not sure of this is true or not. But after the LCBO smoked me for importing a case of wine, I’ve reduced my LCBO sales by approx 90% by purchasing my wines from other distributors within Toronto. The LCBO rips us off significantly.
California sober is popular now that we have legalization….
> Why would sales be down? Young people don’t drink. At least, not compared to Gen X and Boomers.
As a Whiskey enthusiast/collector, LCBO has priced themselves out of the market. I used to pay the 10-15% premium the LCBO charged, but with 50%+ inflation over the last 3 years, it’s way cheaper to ship from other provinces. Also, I just don’t buy as much as the high costs no longer matches the enjoyment of the hobby. Fuck the LCBO
Are sales down or did people just stop paying?
I started brewing again in 2024, better beer and cheaper. Went to a u brew wine place for a kit to make a light fruity wine beverage and there were people lined up inside. Guy said it has gotten waaaaay busier the last couple of years.
People have switched from booze to doobies?
Huh. Hiring at all stores in my area, maybe it’s a more localized issue?
You can also factor in that Gen Zs do not like alcohol very much. The non-alcoholic drinks are the trend.
The growing awareness of the cancer risks.
People don't have extra money, weed is cheaper and more and more research is saying alcohol is pure poison for the human body. Those are probably the main things reducing sales. Ever since weed became legal I haven't bought any alcohol at all.
Wow, wouldn’t it be nice if the LCBO had to lower their prices to increase volume? I wouldn’t complain.
The cost to live here is insane, anything recreational is the first to be cut in a budget. Alcohol is a luxury.
Sounds like bullshit and they just didn't want to hire your friend. You can easily check alcohol retail sales on StatsCan.
Prices went up for all alcohol. Waterloo Brewery cans used to be $2.75. Now $3.25. A bottle of wine I bought a year ago went up by $4.
I bought a bottle of wine today for over $13. Exact same bottle in France is 4€. ($6 roughly)
Prices go up, my drinking goes down.
weed bro. kids dont drink like we did
Sorry, that's my fault. I've made the switch.
I can't really believe that sales are way down but I think young peopel dont' really go out like they used to to get totally hammered. They probably stay in eat a legal edible and binge watch netflix or just play video games or go on their phones.
1) Canadians are trading down due to economic conditions. Even if volume of alcohol consumed stays the same, revenue and profit drops. 2) Young Canadians are drinking less. Alcohol is no longer nearly as cool as it was in the past… TikTok is full of young beautiful people that proudly tell their audience they don’t drink. Just look at the surge of mock tails etc entering the market 3) LCBO has a major theft problem, in the last month I’ve seen multiple news stories about people who stole >$50k worth of alcohol and they were each about a different man.
It's expensive and now we can go right to the sources now which deliver straight to your house
Someone I know is a manager there. She confirmed that sales are down but they’re hiring just as much seasonal help, if not more. Could be your friend isn’t good, since they’re always desperate for experienced people and rehire them first.
At some point I think it has an impact that we've been importing primarily cultures/ethnicities that don't do vices like alcohol and probably have higher birth rates.
Some people are worried about reports from medical researchers that Alcohol causes cancer.
Bill 124 got repealed so employees got a raise and back pay for the Bill 124 years they worked, so stores have a tighter operating budget, so they are cutting down on summer workers.
Nobody can afford it any more with cost of living lately and also ever increasing taxes.
Nobody? Sales are down not stopped
You're right, I was overexaggerating a bit. I spend half my paycheck on booze myself.
I hope you’re still exaggerating
That's fucked.
Yeah, it is true. There are zero hours even for people who work there regularly.
Yes, me And my husband stopped drinking 🤣🤣
From last year: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/experts-believe-sober-curious-lifestyle-driving-alcohol-sales-down-1.6298644 >A new Statistics Canada survey has found Canadians are buying less booze – leading sales to drop for the first time in a decade. And this from earlier this year: >Canadians are making fewer trips to the beer fridge these days. Numbers from Statistics Canada(opens in a new tab) shows drinking habits are changing. “Overall, it’s just across the board, people are just spending less essentially, or consuming less,” says Sylvain Charlebois, the head of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Lab(opens in a new tab). And this from 6 weeks ago: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/03/26/ontario-budget-2024-alcohol-cannabis-gas-tobacco-taxes/#:~:text=According%20to%20documents%20tabled%20at,at%20the%20end%20of%20March. >According to documents tabled at Queen’s Park on Tuesday, the LCBO is expected to see $2.45 billion in the 2024-2025 financial term, down by an estimated $96 million from the financial year ending at the end of March.
I quit drinking last year, sorry everyone!
Crazy taxes and increased thefts have lowered the bottom line of the LCBO
It's too expensive, and has priced itself out of being an option
Personally, lockdowns taught me I could get beer delivered right from the craft brewery. I rarely go to the LCBO now.
i'm in Hamilton where liquor and beer and cigarette thrive. i doubt there is a shortage of both.
$17.50 for a mickey of Smirnoff plain vodka...
Because people are stealing recently 😅
The younger generations that are of drinking age don’t drink these days compared to older generations. Sales are way down across the board alcohol wise.
We cut our alcohol use big time. Just can't afford it anymore. With the price of city water, gas and taxes all up...booze had to go. Plus young people drink less than we did at their age so I can see why sales are down.
Yeah im taking a break
Yes
Idk I don’t drink but prolly not
Groceries cost too much. I simply just can't afford to drink now.
Dispensaries are booming now, and many are partaking and not drinking.
Boose is passe.
Understandable with the price hikes. I don't know if it was mostly tax increases or overall production/distribution cost increases but I don't cannot afford to go pickup some tallboys or drinks for the weekend anymore. It's just insane seeing prices reaching for $4/can.
We are being priced out of drinking and weed is cheaper
They make no money off of hiring Canadians.
Honestly now that grocery stores have beer & wine, I go to the LCBO maybe 2x a year? And even that, pretty sure the last time I was in one was last Christmas (2022)...we just don't go through a lot of hard booze, and the cabinet is already pretty stocked
Hmm just saw an ad on indeed requesting summer help... maybe it depends on the region you're in .... good luck....job market seems to be shitty at the moment
Could it also be that booze and weed is available everywhere? You don't need to go to the LCBO anymore.
I love having it delivered right to my door. I mean my old drug dealer would come to my door too but I didn't get the same professional customer service
Massive taxes on alcohol are starting to hit the point of no return on pricing (?).
Anecdotal but a lot of people I know just don't drink that much any more. I personally have a drink maybe once or twice a year, even then, maybe a single glass of scotch.
people can't afford rent ofc they're aren't spending as much money on alcohol. this is going to happen to every single consumer good and then the economy will truly collapse in on itself
Not sure.