Corby Spirit and Wine Class A Voting Shares T.CSW.A

Canadian liquor sales flourish in Edmonton

[Kanatainvestor]

According to AGLC’s announcement, U.S. products will still be slapped with the 25 per cent surtax on the invoice price upon importation.

The change will allow retailers to restock their U.S. products, but according to some Edmonton liquor stores, the issue lately hasn’t been the amount of U.S. products available to consumers, but rather that they simply don’t want it.
 

“When people are asking for recommendations, that’s one of the things they say right off the bat is, ‘I don’t want American stuff,’ ” said Keg n Cork beer manager, Reese Simoneau.
 

Similarly, 121 Jasper Liquor (12110 Jasper Ave.) manager, Parminder Pal, said his customers “always ask for the Canadian stuff.”
 

“The most unusual thing is the U.S section is completely in stock. No one is touching the products,” said Pal.

The change over the past few months prompted Usunier to make some changes to his store to both encourage more Canadian sales, and educate his customers on what Canada has to offer.

Usunier explained that his store often hosts different scotch and whisky tastings, especially the former as part of the single-malt whisky society. Ordinarily, customers flock to the American and single-malt tastings, while the Canadian whisky tastings struggled to fill the spaces.

“We decided to do what we called an ‘elbows up’ whisky tasting. This was in May, and we sold out both nights. We’ve never sold out of a Canadian whisky tasting before,” Usunier.
 

The occasion gave the store a chance to expand customer base for Canadian whiskies, offering unique selections that patrons might not have tried before. Not only did the tastings sell out, Usunier said it spurred him to alter his entire whisky section.

“I cut back four feet of my American and added four more feet of Canadian in addition to what we already had,” said Usunier.

https://edmontonjournal.com/news/canadian-liquor-sales-flourish-edmonton-u-s-products-return

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We will probably start seeing the preference towards Canadian liquor in the number in the next earning report.