A 14-year-old document sheds light on The Beer Store’s baffling beer monopoly
A 14-year-old document sheds light on The Beer Store’s baffling beer monopoly
$1,015,000,000
—The amount of extra money the LCBO could make each year if it were to compete more aggressively with The Beer Store, according to a recent report from Ontario lobby group Restaurants Canada. The brief was cited today in a Star exposé by reporter Martin Regg Cohn, who claims to have uncovered a document proving the existence of a secret agreement that, for the past 14 years, has prevented the LCBO from horning in on The Beer Store’s lucrative bulk-beer trade.
That’s a pretty splashy presentation for a wholly made up number!
The general public, independent brewers, Toronto Star reporters, and even most Beer Store employees have no idea how The Beer Store’s business works exactly. How the hell would a restaurant lobby group know?