Regina Retail

[Nathan]

I view the private stores as off-sales with cheaper product and more selection.

If I need something cold the day of, I'll go there, otherwise LB it is (Ive never really gone to an offsale anyway).

That and I don't have the same partisan attitude that some have where they'd never use a government option when a private is available.

[UPP]

Originally Posted by pappcam

I'm pretty sure people pick up some booze on their way somewhere quite often. Selling warm beer is just bizarre to me. It's 2019, not 1985 with their pallets of cases of stubbies but I guess if your looking for a warm pack of Labatt Blue I could see going the LB in your future.

As far as price is concerned, I'l pay a few more cents for cold beer.

Odd you should reference the year. You'd think in 2019, with climate change, we'd be disgusted with wasting energy to chill alcohol that may or may not get purchased for days or weeks. I mean, this site is rife with sanctimony of how we need to use public transportation, have more dense neighbourhoods, and so on. But our beer had better be ice cold when we buy it from the store! What a laugh.

In 10 years, chilling beer in stores will be illegal, because it'll be 2029.

[BrutallyDishonest2]

Originally Posted by UPP

Odd you should reference the year. You'd think in 2019, with climate change, we'd be disgusted with wasting energy to chill alcohol that may or may not get purchased for days or weeks. I mean, this site is rife with sanctimony of how we need to use public transportation, have more dense neighbourhoods, and so on. But our beer had better be ice cold when we buy it from the store! What a laugh.

In 10 years, chilling beer in stores will be illegal, because it'll be 2029.

The future will be renewable sources of electricity so all of the beer will be chilled.

[pappcam]

Originally Posted by UPP

Odd you should reference the year. You'd think in 2019, with climate change, we'd be disgusted with wasting energy to chill alcohol that may or may not get purchased for days or weeks. I mean, this site is rife with sanctimony of how we need to use public transportation, have more dense neighbourhoods, and so on. But our beer had better be ice cold when we buy it from the store! What a laugh.

In 10 years, chilling beer in stores will be illegal, because it'll be 2029.

Is this satire?

[djforsberg]

Originally Posted by UPP

Odd you should reference the year. You'd think in 2019, with climate change, we'd be disgusted with wasting energy to chill alcohol that may or may not get purchased for days or weeks. I mean, this site is rife with sanctimony of how we need to use public transportation, have more dense neighbourhoods, and so on. But our beer had better be ice cold when we buy it from the store! What a laugh.

In 10 years, chilling beer in stores will be illegal, because it'll be 2029.

This assumes Pappcam understands the seriousness of climate change. I’m pretty sure he hasn’t learned anything new since 1985 though.

The illegal part is a little silly though because we will still need fridges and renewable energy can power those.

[pappcam]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

This assumes Pappcam understands the seriousness of climate change. I’m pretty sure he hasn’t learned anything new since 1985 though.

The illegal part is a little silly though because we will still need fridges and renewable energy can power those.

Awww muffin... The world got you down?

Again, your stalking is quite 'effin creepy.

[djforsberg]

Originally Posted by pappcam

Awww muffin... The world got you down?

Again, your stalking is quite 'effin creepy.

See you at the game, old timer

[Drofmab]

Originally Posted by aberrant

Coop liquor is strong in Saskatoon, PA, North Battleford, Swift Current, and Estevan. And of course they have a very strong small town presence.

Since last Oct, retail liquor licensees have been allowed to sell their license. Not sure why the Regina Sherwood Coops didnt get in on the buying action.

Yeah - that's why I was surprised Sherwood hadn't tested the water in Regina. May have missed their window... not that the market will get completely saturated, but I'd want name recognition early, and to establish a beachhead. This is what Sobeys is clearly doing in Regina (and across the province, for that matter) - adding the Vic Square, Northgate & 13th Ave stores to the Southland, Rochdale & Emerald Park locations, Sobeys Liquor will have as many locations in the Regina area as the SLGA. Add in Costco, Superstore (x2), Urban Cellars (x2), Metro & Willow Park, and it's pretty hard to see how Co-op would differentiate itself (or where they'd locate, for that matter).

[Drofmab]

Originally Posted by UPP

And yet the LB on Quance, while not as busy as before, still has as many customers as the other private stores combined.

It was always the busiest store in the city (and prov, IIRC), so I wouldn't expect it to die off. It's also conveniently located when running errands in the east end (well, as "convenient" as anything in the Quance clusterduck is). And, I wouldn't discount the people who simply won't go to a private store on principle (e.g.: I know many unionized Crown employees who live in the east end).

I've gone to Urban Cellars a few times and there have never been more than 2 other customers in the store. Same with Metro.

This is my experience as well - and same for Urban Cellars' Golden Mile location.

At any rate, I have a friend who works with Sobey's Liquor who said he doesn't know how they make a go of it, rarely busy, often more employees than customers.

This one I'd debate. Rochdale has always seemed busy to me (the tiny parking lot may create an illusion, though), and I live near the Southland location - it's rarely jam-packed (though, it's hopping before Rider game time, the week leading up to Craven (and during Craven), and around Christmas)... but it's consistent. I think we may have a warped impression of what a liquor store should look like due to the scarcity we've always had - people only had a finite number of stores, with relatively limited hours... now there are a lot more stores, many with very early/late hours (8am-midnight... Rochdale was open 9am-2am for much of its early existance... and open until 3am on Fri/Sat) - so there's no particular reason for significant peaks/valleys.

I remember the SLGA in University Park Mall around the holidays - you were best to walk to it... they had security directing traffic in the parking lot, and the store was a madhouse.

And even if Sobey's isn't really making a go of it at every location, my bet is that their real goal is to choke out the competition (they did this to the Tap, by matching their offsale's hours, and undercutting their prices) - once the competition closes up (looking at you, Urban Cellars), Sobeys may look to either close unprofitable stores, or jack prices. Very similar model to Liquor Depot in Alberta - when the market opened up, everyone & their dog opened a liquor store... Liquor Depot choked the competition out, and/or bought competitors. They're a behemoth now (165 stores across AB & BC).

[Draftsman]

Originally Posted by Drofmab

It was always the busiest store in the city (and prov, IIRC), so I wouldn't expect it to die off. It's also conveniently located when running errands in the east end (well, as "convenient" as anything in the Quance clusterduck is). And, I wouldn't discount the people who simply won't go to a private store on principle (e.g.: I know many unionized Crown employees who live in the east end).


This is my experience as well - and same for Urban Cellars' Golden Mile location.


This one I'd debate. Rochdale has always seemed busy to me (the tiny parking lot may create an illusion, though), and I live near the Southland location - it's rarely jam-packed (though, it's hopping before Rider game time, the week leading up to Craven (and during Craven), and around Christmas)... but it's consistent. I think we may have a warped impression of what a liquor store should look like due to the scarcity we've always had - people only had a finite number of stores, with relatively limited hours... now there are a lot more stores, many with very early/late hours (8am-midnight... Rochdale was open 9am-2am for much of its early existance... and open until 3am on Fri/Sat) - so there's no particular reason for significant peaks/valleys.

I remember the SLGA in University Park Mall around the holidays - you were best to walk to it... they had security directing traffic in the parking lot, and the store was a madhouse.

And even if Sobey's isn't really making a go of it at every location, my bet is that their real goal is to choke out the competition (they did this to the Tap, by matching their offsale's hours, and undercutting their prices) - once the competition closes up (looking at you, Urban Cellars), Sobeys may look to either close unprofitable stores, or jack prices. Very similar model to Liquor Depot in Alberta - when the market opened up, everyone & their dog opened a liquor store... Liquor Depot choked the competition out, and/or bought competitors. They're a behemoth now (165 stores across AB & BC).

Hmm...my take on UPP's comment was that the Sobey's employee was referring to Urban Cellars not making a go of it. I think Sobey's does well.

[Drofmab]

Originally Posted by Nathan

I find private stores more expensive unless things are actually on sale (in which case, private stores have better sales).

True - if a product is sold at both a private store & the LB, the regular price is cheaper 99.9% of the time at the LB (the private guys try to lower the perceived price of their products by listing the pre-tax & deposit price, whereas the LB is all-in).

As for cold vs warm... I usually buy "supplies" before the day I plan to drink it, so I'm agnostic as to whether it's chilled in-store.

Not to be too much of a beer snob here, but if you're buying beer from one of the big breweries, sure -- cold vs. warm at purchase doesn't matter too much (it's been sitting in a warm warehouse for weeks anyway).

If you're buying local, independent beer, freshness is a big part of what you're buying... and beer that sits unrefrigerated is going to go downhill quickly. You want it cooled from moment it comes out of the tank to the moment you pour it into a glass (getting back to construction, this was a reason that the SLGA's big, shiny warehouse was a disappointment... no cooler, so the beer sits in there at room temperature. Alberta's warehouse (run by Liquor Connect) which was build before SK's, is cooled). There are many reasons why you'll see very few SK beers in the LB (but will see them at the private stores) - the lack of a chilled warehouse isn't the reason, but it's one of the reasons.

[UPP]

Originally Posted by Draftsman

Hmm...my take on UPP's comment was that the Sobey's employee was referring to Urban Cellars not making a go of it. I think Sobey's does well.

No. He works part time at Sobey's Southland. He says he goes home early lots because they just don't have enough customers.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

What is the busiest liquor store in Regina?

[StealthGirl]

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

What is the busiest liquor store in Regina?

SLGA on Quance was the busiest last I heard but I haven't heard the 2019 numbers.

[Drofmab]

Originally Posted by UPP

No. He works part time at Sobey's Southland. He says he goes home early lots because they just don't have enough customers.

Also worth remembering that the retail side of these stores may not be their focus/revenue centre... the wholesale side of the business is a huge factor. So, not having many customers in the store might not be a great metric.

You can bet Sobeys' wholesale is big business, and looking at the footprint (a significant chunk of which isn't retail) of Urban Cellars in Golden Mile, it's obviously part of their business model. Ditto for Birminghams.

[PhotoJim]

Originally Posted by Drofmab

You can bet Sobeys' wholesale is big business, and looking at the footprint (a significant chunk of which isn't retail) of Urban Cellars in Golden Mile, it's obviously part of their business model. Ditto for Birminghams.

Is wholesale liquor distribution really a thing in Saskatchewan? I thought the Saskatchewan Liquor Board had exclusive rights to wholesale distribution.

[scotty c]

Originally Posted by PhotoJim

Is wholesale liquor distribution really a thing in Saskatchewan? I thought the Saskatchewan Liquor Board had exclusive rights to wholesale distribution.

SLGA distributes to the liquor stores. Liquor stores sell to bars and restaurants. When it was all SLGA they had no options, now I’d guess they do.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Any pics of the work being done to the Chapters building?

[JustACitizen]

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

Any pics of the work being done to the Chapters building?

While I don't have a picture of the new Chapters paint job (flat black), my opinion is that it looks horrible. Instead of a calm inviting look it once had, it now appears to have a cheap Halloween store look. Their designer needs a different job!

[JustACitizen]

Any idea what is being built in the Canadian Tire east parking lot? Is that a Paderno or a gas bar going in?