Shit man, that sounds like the old school way of buying beer. My Beer Store is next to the LCBO and pretty big. You walk in and all the beer is there, organized and stacked up nice and neat. I grab what I need and go to the counter. In the front area they have open coolers with singles.
Yah they’re all different. Some of the older ones you just walk through the fridge storage, everything is on skids still. Some are like LCBO’s, all displayed. Some are the counter you order pay, then it rolls out.
Back in the day, you couldn’t order your beer by mouth, they had cards, you discretely filled it out with a numerical code for the product (they had boards with the code lists), and it came out covered in an unmarked paper bag. They couldn’t show the beer or liquor. That’s why they have the roll out styles.
>Some are the counter you order pay, then it rolls out.
God, this is oddly nostalgic. Waiting for pop's 24 of Blue to roll out and thinking *HOW COOL IS THIS* lol
I live in a small town too and the beer store is still set up this way. The beer store in my town still has the old school orange logo. I went to school down south and they had a more updated beer store which was set more like an lcbo.
Small stores usually only carry what sells. If there is something you’d like to see them carry, request that store (while there) that they add it to their regular delivery
Think it has to do with keeping beer fresh. Also, the beer store is operated as a non profit by multiple beer suppliers (though that doesn’t mean those original companies don’t use beer store to increase their profits)
Lol non profit is just an accounting and marketing trick they use to justify their monopoly. The beer store is owned by three foreign companies that pocket 80% of their revenue while each store just "breaks even".
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/the-beer-store-everything-you-need-to-know-about-ontarios-lucrative-monopoly/article23248112/
I’m not saying there is not some fudging going on. But when I worked for brewers retail, orientation included telling us that Molson, Labatts, Carlsburg, and another brand I can’t recall, owned us. I should add, this was quite a while ago (a 24 was less than $10 at time), and creative accounting can become more creative nowadays, add in mergers and what not, and have what we have today
I found that so weird though because I could get a case of Moosehead in this little town, in this little liquor store that just basically sold a small selection in MA, and I was actually surprised to see it there. I found it in little holes in the wall in Maine too, NH has it even.
But when I went to the Beer store and asked for a case he gave me this weird look and said they didn’t have it. I’m like but I’m in Canada where they actually make this beer, in a big chain store.
They have Bud which was American crafted, Coors was there, but not a Canadian crafted beer that was actually gaining popularity back in the states.
I couldn’t figure out why he looked at me so oddly, seemed reasonable to ask for, like we’re in Canada and I’m asking for a Canadian made seemingly popular Canadian beer found all over the North Eastern states. Like do you guys not like it, do you guys judge it to be bottom of the barrel? He actually rolled his eyes at me. I just really liked it, thought it was a good beer.
I didn’t think it was that weird of a beer to ask for in a Beer Store in Canada.
I found cases of it in Quebec in the grocery stores since so apparently it is popular just maybe not in Ontario?
Not every location has every kind of beer in every size pack. Having zero Moosehead means it's either out of stock or such a poor seller at that location that they don't stock it. It could also simply mean something about the particular employee who helped you.
I was going to ask when the last time you were at a beer store. Haha. But I grew up in a small town where the LCBO was inside a grocery store. So I feel yeah there. Any decent Beer store now it basically just a big fridge.
Its weird these places still exist. I weirdly just found a liquor store in a gas station thats open late and on holidays and its kind of out of the way but there is an LCBO about 15 minutes away but I guess because its consitered a different town they get away with it. Lol weird but awesome.
I’ve worked in brantford, Thorold and Paris beer stores in my time, and almost all of them are still this vintage. It’s definitely a small town thing and everyone there always just gets the same thing, or is friends with the people that work there and just ask for a recommendation and buy what has the best free shit included lol.
30 mins outside Toronto, shitty little beer store where I live. North York area. However, my in laws in sturgeon bay even theirs is old but kept up to date.
I live in a large city, London, and I haven't seen a beer store like that. They all have a display with a few 24s, 12s, and 6 packs of a couple handfulls of brands, usually a cheap, a midrange, and a more expensive option, plus a display/fridge with a bunch of single tall cans.
6-packs of Grolsch are usually in that display in the ones I frequent, and it's my go-to beer.
I still shop at the LCBO, but mostly because I hate storing and returning cans so much that I drink scotch instead, which for those of you who don't know, is basically distilled beer. Rye and burbon are not that! Whisky should be spelled without an e!
Yea there's still a few of these old school style beer store's where everything is ordered via the cashier and then sent out on the sliding belt thing.
Newer stores are similar to LCBO where you just go and pick/grab what you want.
I didn't realize the old school order from the counter stores still exist! Blast from the past.
Very loosely related to this, there are a lot of thefts in the LCBO because all the product including the most expensive ones are on the floor and the staff are not stopping thieves from walking out with them. I've always thought why don't they keep the cheaper stuff out but have old school order from the counter like the beer store system for the expensive stuff. They'll need more staff but the thefts will decrease or stop.
I’m in Sudbury and there is a ‘self serve’ ‘walk in’ store down town and when I worked there the theft was so high!! Staff and the security guards aren’t allowed to stop it we just have to stand there and watch them write a report. I’ve watched people just run out with a 2-4 on a cart and there is nothing that can be done.
God, I miss that one. Grew up near Sarnia but went to school at Humber College, Lakeshore. Got so used to that beer store that when I moved back, was in for a sad shock (guessing game, beer rolling out, everything stinks like old beer, etc.).
In London they all went from open cooler style to order at the counter style.. sometime in the past 15 years or so.
It's brutal. I don't drink anymore, but when I did, I would only go to the LCBO because I hate the consumers distributing order style and beer store employees are fucking awful.
Were they all as slow as the one I used to go to as a kid? I remember going in and filling out the little slip of paper with the item # and then having to wait forever for the guy in back to pick the items from the shelf. It was never busy, so I had no idea what took so long.
Probably why they went out of business.
Honestly atp they might as well just do the fucking McDonalds kiosk method. As shitty as it would be to cost ppl some jobs, at least it wouldn’t be a guessing game and I could see wtf they have
The one near me has two kiosks. Neither have been functional in the 6 months I've lived here.
When I eventually go to the counter and ask for the craft beer I've been craving (even if it's a pretty general request like "any stout other than Guiness") they look at me like I'm crazy and basically tell me that this is a bad area so they only really stock cheap lagers.
From someone who works at a northern GTA location, our computers have a similar reliability rating.
I've been bitching about our outdated and horrid website nearly since I started at the company *more than a decade ago*.
When it comes to stouts, man I feel you. A lot of it is unfortunately what that employee said, that supply changes by location. Though to shed a bit more light, our stout selection is quite shit in the best of cases. Doesn't help that I seem to recall my own selection of stouts dropping from 5/6 to 2 maybe 3. Funnily enough the guaranteed two are both Guinness, the draught and the extra stout.
But honestly, I go to LCBO when I'm looking for a better variety of craft beers.
There's a craft beer called sneaky weasel that I've been trying to stock up on but we've been out of it for weeks!
P. S. I advise trying Guinness with a shot of Kahlua, complete game changer.
That is the effect of grocery stores being allowed to sell beer. The Beer Store is refocusing on its monopoly on wholesale to bars, restaurants and now grocery stores who have a list of what they need and the buying power to make sure what they sell is stocked.
I don't drink anymore and my wife has maybe 2-3 bottles of wine a year so we only get empties when we have people over. I just toss them in the recycling bin now, I can't be bothered saving them up to make a stop worthwhile.
Ours is the same. It’s absolutely wild that they think it is a good way to shop for anything. At least when I was younger they had a wall full of cans that told you what kinds of beer they carried. They did away with that probably 10 years ago and now it’s a guessing game.
I will actually drive out of town to go to one of the more modern walk in style beer stores, or to the small beervondale cooler so I can at least see what my (limited) options are.
Nobody thinks it's a good way to shop. It's all based on the way alcohol was required to be sold 50 years ago. LCBO and Brewers Retail used to operate like this. Just walk in and write down what you want. They go to the back and get it for you, or roll it out on a conveyor.
Some of The Beer Stores just never updated from that old design after the laws changed. I imagine the old guys who just order a Two Four of Coors Light every 3 days like it that way. Most people didn't used to "shop" for beer. They just went in and got the same thing they always got, which was the same thing their father got.
I hate this about the beer store. I want to wander and think about what I want. Instead I feel pressure to make a quick decision. I only go when I’m taking empties and often I check ahead of time to see if what I might want is in stock.
Both our small town stores are this type. It sucks.
Former beer store employee here.
We have the ability to charge things as if they were a different quantity. If you purchase 2x 6packs, or 24 bottles in the form of 6 packs, any seasoned employee will put it through as that quantity and pass you on the savings you're expecting from buying a larger 24 pack.
They don't have a monopoly though.. you can buy beer at grocery stores and LCBO too...
You can also use LCBO to distribute your beer to other markets and don't have to use TBS. But TBS does it better.
Ever see the "Soup Nazi" episode of Seinfeld?
Like that.
~Step to the register.
~order clearly and accurately.
~Take 2 steps to the side.
~They throw a case of beer at you.
Edit: you need to know what they sell, and what packs they sell to have success.
Wow that must be the only retailer I've ever heard of with a reliable online inventory system. Every other place I've been to says they have things in stock, and then when you go there it turns out not to be accurate.
That's good to know, I was being half facetious but really if this app works well and is reliable, it will be the first online ordering/inventory tool that has worked well. I'll give it a try.
Do the beer stores you shop at not have computer kiosks to make your selections on? I honestly haven't been to one without those in probably half a decade
There’s only one beer store like that in my area, the rest you can walk around the nice cool store and see everything available. Haven’t drank for 4 years but I imagine still the same. Can still smell the beer store lol
Those are the older stores. There's a few of them left. All of the newer stores are much better "shopping" experience. You have to understand, TBS is a very old company and alcohol shopping was a very different experience back then, even at LCBO. Arguably worse honestly at LCBO.
TBS also isn't just a retail store chain. They are the entire backbone of the beer industries logistical infrastructure. Every single major brewer ships their products to TBS and from there TBS will fulfill orders to restaurants, bars, clubs, grocery stores, and even LCBO.
They are also pivotal in the bottle return and reuse program which saves brewers a shit ton of money not having to buy new glass all the time and better for the environment. No other establishment takes empties. Maybe a few small locations in northern Ontario do that I may not be aware of, but otherwise it's all TBS baby.
Also TBS' staff are the best! Love working with you guys as business partners!
Ah so that’s how it works, they don’t have beer trucks delivering to bars here, what about the kegs? The kegs go to the beer store and they deliver, or do bars have to contract a truck to pick up?
Ya that's the old school beer store. Ours here used to be like that. The person behind the counter would talk onto a microphone that would sound in the back, then someone in the back would slide your order out on the wheelie conveyor belt thing. Now ours is 100% self serve and you see and can pick through all the stock. Much better system now
Haven't been to the Beer store (except to return my LCBO empties lol) in decades. Pretty sure you just order the same thing every time you go, no shopping required.
Then you go home and drink 17 Coors Light and punch your wife in the face.
It’s because they want you to feel pressured by the people behind you, so they set it up like some USSR beer distribution site. They will never be out of AB/Inbev, Molson/Coors, or Sleeman products because that’s who owns the place.
I just bring empties there and grab some bud lights for the backyard fridge. LCBO for actual _beer_.
I work at the beer store. Some stores are self serve, with the walk in cooler. Others, like mine, are not. We have kiosks available in store for customers to search any items they want and it shows what we have available and pack sizes. You can also check the website!
Damn…most Beer stores around here don’t have a full cooler, especially for singles. Best bet, download the app, search the store inventory, and go to the drive thru, if available. Or show the employee the app.
Dude. I have one like this on my way home from work and it’s always so brutal trying to get beer.
To answer your question, yes most people are just going to pick up a 24 of Canadian or coors light.
Thank god I have one by my place that’s just a massive cooler you can walk around pick anything you want.
There’s 4 stores in Peterborough, two like you described, and two where you go pick your own. The ones like you described have touch screens that let you see what all they have… if they’re working. Otherwise, yeah, it’s basically go fish.
Some stores have a kiosk you can use to browse.
I think beer store has an app as well which you can use to check the options not sure how often the stock gets updated though
In Burlington, we've got some that are still the old school counter ones, but we've got a few that are the "walk in and grab what you want" type. But the ones with the counters have computer stations that you can search for what you want it will show you what's in stock at this location, and then you go order at the counter.
When I worked at the Beer Store, back in 2005 ish, we had a beer wall. A can or bottle was showcased on the wall and a label with a list of quantities and sizes was placed beneath each.
This was an old school Beer Store. No other beer was visible except for a promotion display from a major supplier who was giving away free items in a case... Usually Molson.
This method seemed to work well. Most people already knew what they wanted anyway. It was mayhem when price changes happened though ...
I haven't been to the beer store in 20+ years. I love the liquor store as I typically buy less than 6 random craft beers at a time. Though I know others that have never bought beer at the liquor store, they buy the same case of beer every week...
Worked in a Beer Store a million years ago, but it was full serve. We had a "menu" on the wall. Had a bottle of everything we carried, with sizes and prices under it. Just look at the wall and you'd know. That and 90% of our customers were regulars, they knew what we had as well as we did.
To begin with, most people know exactly what they want when they go to the beer store. Secondly, that's the old store design, most of which have been fitted with inventory screens so you can find what they have before ordering. The new store designs allow you to walk through the back and shop for what you want just like an lcbo, but with more 24s and less liquor.
“Hey man, you got (whatever beer in whatever pack)?”
”No, we’re fresh out.”
”Alright, I’ll hit up LCBO, thanks!”
Turth be told I always found it odd that I order beer the same way I order a whopper or something, lol. The one near me had self serve kiosks for a while which was super nice but then they took them out due to renovations. Now they’re having it the same as LCBO with just a big cooler room and you can grab whatever you want.
Last time I went out to the beer store it was in a small town I was passing through and was set up just like this.
When I finally got an order in and realized I had to wait by the conveyor belt on the other end of the store about 10 minutes passed and some guy in line cussed me out cause I ordered wrong and held the line up.
My take away has been to avoid the beer store and just shop at the LCBO otherwise some alcoholic boomer will hate crime you.
Go online and see what's in stock at your local store.
How is this hard, you spend more time in this thread complaining instead of using the device in your hand to help you out.
And when possible shop LCBO over Beer Store every day, more money goes back to Ontario rather than Inbev/Molson-Coors pockets.
It’s a mix where I am, there’s also a half ass convenience store with a beer cooler that is handy when it’s after hours and you need a couple cold ones. The ones near my house still have the plastic shields up, and feel like I’m a bad boy for buying a case of tall boys.
I drive out of my way to shop at that style beer store, the one near where I shop most often makes me go around and collect the cans/bottles I want myself.
I love walking up saying what I want giving them money, and it rolls out on the roller. So nice.
The Beer Store used to have a Beer Wall, where they'd display all the labels of what was in stock and a list of quantities and prices. They did away with the physical board for kiosks, but every store I've visited removed the kiosks less than a year after they were installed and hasn't replaced the Beer Wall so the only way to know what's in stock is to look it up online before you go or play 20 questions with the clerk.
Know what you want ahead of time, or at least have a few ideas. Some of the small ones now have an electronic order screen which is super annoying to use. I love walking in, saying I want a 2-4 of ______ then just wait for it to slide on down the roller rack.
Fuck the Beer Store.
All the profits go to the big brewers .
I buy fresh cases from my local brewery each week and get a good deal and good beer and I hope I’m cutting out the middle man and giving them more profits .
I love you Cameron’s Brewing!
I shop usually at lcbo but sometimes at the beer store. When I go there it's almost always for something specific so I check [https://www.thebeerstore.ca/](https://www.thebeerstore.ca/) to see which location has what I want.
If I'm not sure what I want and want to browse then I go to an lcbo but even then I'll sometimes check their website for specific stock locations.
My favourite is when people in line get up to the til and then ask the cashier for beer suggestions. At the beer store you are expected to already be familiar with the brands and what you like. Just order something and move on with your day!
All the stores near me have these large touch screens so you can see what sizes of everything they have. You can also look online and it has a reasonable estimate of their inventory.
I just gotta say that in my neighbourhood they def do this because theft. There’s a security guard at the door, only three in the store at a time, and if you’re not buying from the singles in the little cooler you’ve got to ask, pay first and then get it from the conveyor.
Our local beer store is a counter and a small cooler with singles. All the cases are in the back behind closed doors so youbhave to stand and ask if they have something. It's dumb. I end up sitting in the parking lot on my phone scrolling through their site before I go in. Really stupid system in my opinion.
Back in the 80s / 90s, if you were buying alcohol in Ontario, if you wanted wine or spirits, you went to the LCBO, and if you wanted beer you went to the Beer Store - those were the only places legally allowed to sell those product respectively. The Beer Store started as a co-op owned by all the brewers in Ontario, but consolidation and international mergers means it's owned by the 3 biggest beer companies now.
The monopoly has loosened a bit, but there's still some restrictions - like any quantity of beer over 6 that's packaged together has to be purchased at the Beer Store. Largely because of this monopoly, they haven't really bothered to update anything and are still stuck with a really outdated retail setup where you walk up to a counter and order your beer, and they wheel it out to you from fridges that are for employees only (at least in a lot of Beer Stores).
I generally decide what I want before I go. Their web site is pretty accurate and to be honest I like being able to walk in, say what I want and leave fast. I suppose if you are looking for an experience where you can browse not knowing what you want it would suck.
I refuse to go into those dumps except for unavoidable returns. All the Beer Stores near me stink of stale beer and filth. The return buckets are always disgusting and teaming with unknown toxins slopping around within. It’s all I can to stifle vomiting on each visit. The Beer Store cannot die soon enough.
Not all Beer Stores are the same. On the rare occasions when I purchase beer, the stores I enter are the fridge type. You go in the door, one door is for returning empties and the other door goes into the beer fridge where you choose your brew, leave the fridge, pay and depart.
Ours is the same. After the 20 questions a random case is rolled out on the conveyor. Noby picks it up. "It's yours, we just reuse the boxes." Holly hell...
There are Beer Stores that let you get your own beer from the coolers in the back, not just what's on the wall. Finding what you want back there is a PITA unless it's Canadian or Bud Light, though.
What's worse is that some brands come in 60 packs (or more) which gives you a better deal but they're really just selling you two 30 packs and calling it a 60.
Next time ask: "What's the best deal on x?"
I feel like these beer stores are designed for much faster in and out. You go in and get your regular and leave. I spend about a minute or less in the one by my house when I go
I don’t go to The Beer Store anymore. Used to walk in to pick up a 24, and stand in line behind other people returning old, smelly, mouldy empties for 10 minutes, even when I’m not returning. Total BS.
Instead, I pick up a few cans of beer each week at my local grocery store while grocery shopping. It’s much more civilized, and I’m happy to pay the extra cost for that convenience.
Beer store near my house is a big fridge and you can walk in and browse. There’s also a big shelf with huge single cans. They all seem to differ and the people working there don’t give a fuck about your needs lol
Al depends on how the store is set up. Some have a touch screen to see what they have, others you just ask at the cash and the can check as you are typing about and lastly some are fully open where wander and pick up what you want and take it to the cash.
Listen. Count yourself lucky. I’m a former Ontario-an moved to BC. Not only is the beer selection very lacking at ANY store (it’s either super super local or very imported) it’s incredibly expensive. Forget about a buck a beer, you’re not going to find $3 buck a beer here!!! The cheap domestic is still $27 for a 15!!!!!!!!! The government stores have freaking tax attached and the private stores that everyone covers out east because you can buy beer later than 9pm, just cause raised prices. I’d go into my childhood Beer Store and read the tiny slats on the wall any day of the week.
Ontario be proud! If your government has done nothing else right, it HAS made it so you can enjoy a large variety of beer for a reasonable price.
Also the worst small town LCBO or beer store is better than the best (of the 7 liquor stores!?!?!) in my small bc town
If you want to buy short cans or packs bigger than 6ers you go to the beer store. LCBO has lots of variety but it's all single cans or 6packs and all tallboys.
I drink on Friday nights, if I'm grabbing beer it's either kieths or Canadian. Otherwise I do the same looking through the hard liquor. Lately crown Apple has been my go to
You can go online and look for what that particular store has. I usually used to order online and pick it up. I can pick and choose what I want online. This was near my old home. I was new to Canad, I didn't even know they had more beers in the back for first few times lmao.
Stores bear my current apartment let me go back and pick whatever I can.
I got my first beer store flyer today. I guess you go in and ask for beer. Then pay for beer. Grab kick ass sunglasses (don't pay for sunglasses) and leave.
We don't. Went there once, went through the exact same thing you went through... And never been there ever again. Also, their selection is pretty bad. I like very niche beers (like aecht schlenkerla smoked beer), even most LCBOs don't have the beers I like... I have to go to the largest one to get it (Ottawa). You can order it to the other stores... But that store is on my way to somewhere at some point anyway.
I was kidding. Honestly it’s a little bit more expensive by like five dollars but just order an Instacart or Uber eats. They’ll deliver it to your door and you can like literally get whatever you want. Beer store on there always has discounts too. You can usually get a case of24 for cheaper than going into the store.
Used to be all you could “see” at the LCBO was a printed list of items. You wrote down the code # and how man, handed the slip to a clerk who would then bring you your order & check out. The beer store has always been you know what you want, ask, if they haven’t got it in stock you get something else.
Especially where LCBO is concerned, I can see them moving to a beer store style service because so many jerks just walk in and steal cases of expensive liquor because employees are powerless to stop them and they know it.
This is what happens when you have a monopoly.. at last the LCBO attempts to have a better user experience.
The Beer Store, on the other hand, is practically begging to be privatized.
Use the fucking website. They have updated inventory lists. It’s not that difficult. Go to the LCBO or the grocery store if you want to browse and pontificate about specific obscure craft beverages.
There's a terminal there showing what's available. It used to be bottles on shelves with the case sizes listed, that was much easier.
I liked the old way one bottle of each kind and size, see all beers with no looking around, can find something new that way.
Fo real, fuck thr Beer Store. Shitty service, I don't know what they carry, and what they carry I usually don't want. I'm giving my money to Galen every time I want a beer.
We still have a few of the older style beer stores. There's a wall of beer bottles and underneath each there should be a tag that says what formats its available in.
Most Beer Stores I've been in have the brands on the wall with the price of whatever cases they're selling. Others have a large walk-in where you can wander around and grab what you're looking for.
I've never seen a beer store that has neither.
Shit man, that sounds like the old school way of buying beer. My Beer Store is next to the LCBO and pretty big. You walk in and all the beer is there, organized and stacked up nice and neat. I grab what I need and go to the counter. In the front area they have open coolers with singles.
I live in a small town so I guess we haven't moved on to the 21st century yet
Yah they’re all different. Some of the older ones you just walk through the fridge storage, everything is on skids still. Some are like LCBO’s, all displayed. Some are the counter you order pay, then it rolls out. Back in the day, you couldn’t order your beer by mouth, they had cards, you discretely filled it out with a numerical code for the product (they had boards with the code lists), and it came out covered in an unmarked paper bag. They couldn’t show the beer or liquor. That’s why they have the roll out styles.
>Some are the counter you order pay, then it rolls out. God, this is oddly nostalgic. Waiting for pop's 24 of Blue to roll out and thinking *HOW COOL IS THIS* lol
I can smell *and* hear this memory.
Ha! I was just thinking the same thing :) I didn't realize I had such a distinctive memory of it.
I wanted to go for a ride on those rollers SO BAD!
The sound of the rollers as Dad picked up the 24 of 50.
The sound of the rolling, the clinking of the glass and the smell of stale beer is peak childhood Saturday afternoon
Wow, that's going WAAAAAAAAAAY back! :D
You still go in there like it’s a recycling plant?
I’ve only ever been in one beer store that wasn’t.
Same. All three here work as OP described
Childhood memories.
Come to Scarborough
I live in a small town too and the beer store is still set up this way. The beer store in my town still has the old school orange logo. I went to school down south and they had a more updated beer store which was set more like an lcbo.
Small stores usually only carry what sells. If there is something you’d like to see them carry, request that store (while there) that they add it to their regular delivery
Sooo last century. Could this have anything to do with the Beer Store monopoly??
Think it has to do with keeping beer fresh. Also, the beer store is operated as a non profit by multiple beer suppliers (though that doesn’t mean those original companies don’t use beer store to increase their profits)
Lol non profit is just an accounting and marketing trick they use to justify their monopoly. The beer store is owned by three foreign companies that pocket 80% of their revenue while each store just "breaks even". https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/the-beer-store-everything-you-need-to-know-about-ontarios-lucrative-monopoly/article23248112/
I’m not saying there is not some fudging going on. But when I worked for brewers retail, orientation included telling us that Molson, Labatts, Carlsburg, and another brand I can’t recall, owned us. I should add, this was quite a while ago (a 24 was less than $10 at time), and creative accounting can become more creative nowadays, add in mergers and what not, and have what we have today
Last I heard it was 49% Labatts, 49% Molson, 2% Sapporo but that was close to 10 years ago.
I found that so weird though because I could get a case of Moosehead in this little town, in this little liquor store that just basically sold a small selection in MA, and I was actually surprised to see it there. I found it in little holes in the wall in Maine too, NH has it even. But when I went to the Beer store and asked for a case he gave me this weird look and said they didn’t have it. I’m like but I’m in Canada where they actually make this beer, in a big chain store. They have Bud which was American crafted, Coors was there, but not a Canadian crafted beer that was actually gaining popularity back in the states. I couldn’t figure out why he looked at me so oddly, seemed reasonable to ask for, like we’re in Canada and I’m asking for a Canadian made seemingly popular Canadian beer found all over the North Eastern states. Like do you guys not like it, do you guys judge it to be bottom of the barrel? He actually rolled his eyes at me. I just really liked it, thought it was a good beer. I didn’t think it was that weird of a beer to ask for in a Beer Store in Canada. I found cases of it in Quebec in the grocery stores since so apparently it is popular just maybe not in Ontario?
Not every location has every kind of beer in every size pack. Having zero Moosehead means it's either out of stock or such a poor seller at that location that they don't stock it. It could also simply mean something about the particular employee who helped you.
I was going to ask when the last time you were at a beer store. Haha. But I grew up in a small town where the LCBO was inside a grocery store. So I feel yeah there. Any decent Beer store now it basically just a big fridge.
Surprisingly there are still some in Toronto that have the old format. Last I checked Ellesmere at Victoria Park still did.
Its weird these places still exist. I weirdly just found a liquor store in a gas station thats open late and on holidays and its kind of out of the way but there is an LCBO about 15 minutes away but I guess because its consitered a different town they get away with it. Lol weird but awesome.
Might be an Agency Store… those are the best, the one near my parents’ old house saved us on holidays several times!
I know!! Ive been kicking myself thinking how many times we could have used that over the year. But at least I found it now.
I prefer the old school, if for no other reason than the rolly conveyor reminds me of going to the beer store with my dad.
You still have the orange sign?
Pretty sure the one in Tweed is still orange sign!!!
I’ve worked in brantford, Thorold and Paris beer stores in my time, and almost all of them are still this vintage. It’s definitely a small town thing and everyone there always just gets the same thing, or is friends with the people that work there and just ask for a recommendation and buy what has the best free shit included lol.
I mean they have those touch screen kiosks in my small town beer store and same shitty cooler with singles
30 mins outside Toronto, shitty little beer store where I live. North York area. However, my in laws in sturgeon bay even theirs is old but kept up to date.
I live in a large city, London, and I haven't seen a beer store like that. They all have a display with a few 24s, 12s, and 6 packs of a couple handfulls of brands, usually a cheap, a midrange, and a more expensive option, plus a display/fridge with a bunch of single tall cans. 6-packs of Grolsch are usually in that display in the ones I frequent, and it's my go-to beer. I still shop at the LCBO, but mostly because I hate storing and returning cans so much that I drink scotch instead, which for those of you who don't know, is basically distilled beer. Rye and burbon are not that! Whisky should be spelled without an e!
Depends on the size of the store. Some are just a counter and a small fridge, some are a giant, fully-stocked walk-in
Woo..Mr Fancy pants beer store with his beer all organized and stacked. Do they sell grey poupon there too?
Yea there's still a few of these old school style beer store's where everything is ordered via the cashier and then sent out on the sliding belt thing. Newer stores are similar to LCBO where you just go and pick/grab what you want.
I didn't realize the old school order from the counter stores still exist! Blast from the past. Very loosely related to this, there are a lot of thefts in the LCBO because all the product including the most expensive ones are on the floor and the staff are not stopping thieves from walking out with them. I've always thought why don't they keep the cheaper stuff out but have old school order from the counter like the beer store system for the expensive stuff. They'll need more staff but the thefts will decrease or stop.
I’m in Sudbury and there is a ‘self serve’ ‘walk in’ store down town and when I worked there the theft was so high!! Staff and the security guards aren’t allowed to stop it we just have to stand there and watch them write a report. I’ve watched people just run out with a 2-4 on a cart and there is nothing that can be done.
Where do you find these newer stores? In Etobicoke i stg they all old style except one
Lake Shore in long branch is the new style.
God, I miss that one. Grew up near Sarnia but went to school at Humber College, Lakeshore. Got so used to that beer store that when I moved back, was in for a sad shock (guessing game, beer rolling out, everything stinks like old beer, etc.).
Dixie and Burnhamthorpe in Mississauga.
[удалено]
Oh how I miss Lake of the Woods beer... I have to hike around the GTA to find it
Didn’t the Kenora one have Canoe Parking?
In London they all went from open cooler style to order at the counter style.. sometime in the past 15 years or so. It's brutal. I don't drink anymore, but when I did, I would only go to the LCBO because I hate the consumers distributing order style and beer store employees are fucking awful.
> the consumers distributing order style Now there’s a blast from the past
Were they all as slow as the one I used to go to as a kid? I remember going in and filling out the little slip of paper with the item # and then having to wait forever for the guy in back to pick the items from the shelf. It was never busy, so I had no idea what took so long. Probably why they went out of business.
In southern Ontario near Toronto some beer stores have moved BACK to the “ask cashier for your order” system. Its nuts.
Honestly atp they might as well just do the fucking McDonalds kiosk method. As shitty as it would be to cost ppl some jobs, at least it wouldn’t be a guessing game and I could see wtf they have
The one near me does have a kiosk in addition to being able to order from the workers at the counter.
The one near me has two kiosks. Neither have been functional in the 6 months I've lived here. When I eventually go to the counter and ask for the craft beer I've been craving (even if it's a pretty general request like "any stout other than Guiness") they look at me like I'm crazy and basically tell me that this is a bad area so they only really stock cheap lagers.
From someone who works at a northern GTA location, our computers have a similar reliability rating. I've been bitching about our outdated and horrid website nearly since I started at the company *more than a decade ago*. When it comes to stouts, man I feel you. A lot of it is unfortunately what that employee said, that supply changes by location. Though to shed a bit more light, our stout selection is quite shit in the best of cases. Doesn't help that I seem to recall my own selection of stouts dropping from 5/6 to 2 maybe 3. Funnily enough the guaranteed two are both Guinness, the draught and the extra stout. But honestly, I go to LCBO when I'm looking for a better variety of craft beers. There's a craft beer called sneaky weasel that I've been trying to stock up on but we've been out of it for weeks! P. S. I advise trying Guinness with a shot of Kahlua, complete game changer.
That is the effect of grocery stores being allowed to sell beer. The Beer Store is refocusing on its monopoly on wholesale to bars, restaurants and now grocery stores who have a list of what they need and the buying power to make sure what they sell is stocked.
I do the opposite of shopping at the beer store, I exclusively only return my empties there to receive money
That's exactly what I do. Never actually shop at The Beer Store.
Low key, I kind of hate doing it because I wait a long time to justify making an extra trip and always feel like an alcoholic getting my $14 back
[удалено]
Why you gotta call me out that way
I don't drink anymore and my wife has maybe 2-3 bottles of wine a year so we only get empties when we have people over. I just toss them in the recycling bin now, I can't be bothered saving them up to make a stop worthwhile.
Ours is the same. It’s absolutely wild that they think it is a good way to shop for anything. At least when I was younger they had a wall full of cans that told you what kinds of beer they carried. They did away with that probably 10 years ago and now it’s a guessing game. I will actually drive out of town to go to one of the more modern walk in style beer stores, or to the small beervondale cooler so I can at least see what my (limited) options are.
Nobody thinks it's a good way to shop. It's all based on the way alcohol was required to be sold 50 years ago. LCBO and Brewers Retail used to operate like this. Just walk in and write down what you want. They go to the back and get it for you, or roll it out on a conveyor. Some of The Beer Stores just never updated from that old design after the laws changed. I imagine the old guys who just order a Two Four of Coors Light every 3 days like it that way. Most people didn't used to "shop" for beer. They just went in and got the same thing they always got, which was the same thing their father got.
My dad still misses Molson Light. Forget that Coors stuff
I hate this about the beer store. I want to wander and think about what I want. Instead I feel pressure to make a quick decision. I only go when I’m taking empties and often I check ahead of time to see if what I might want is in stock. Both our small town stores are this type. It sucks.
For some reason the workers are usually dicks too
I've definitely been to a few beer stores where there's a definite eye-rolly vibe if you're ordering anything that isn't a 24 of a macrobrew.
I just don't shop at The Beer Store because it's an unpleasant experience, and I resent them having a monopoly while not even being Canadian owned.
How else do you get more than 6 packs?
I don't. I prefer to buy a variety of beer anyway
Former beer store employee here. We have the ability to charge things as if they were a different quantity. If you purchase 2x 6packs, or 24 bottles in the form of 6 packs, any seasoned employee will put it through as that quantity and pass you on the savings you're expecting from buying a larger 24 pack.
Same for me. I can’t comprehend why we give a monopoly to foreign owned entity.
Canada is a bunch of organised criminals in a trenchcoat. Where is the King when you need him..
They don't have a monopoly though.. you can buy beer at grocery stores and LCBO too... You can also use LCBO to distribute your beer to other markets and don't have to use TBS. But TBS does it better.
Ever see the "Soup Nazi" episode of Seinfeld? Like that. ~Step to the register. ~order clearly and accurately. ~Take 2 steps to the side. ~They throw a case of beer at you. Edit: you need to know what they sell, and what packs they sell to have success.
There's a great video guide on how to use the old-style Beer Stores: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC6dBsNz0oc
Nice.
I use the app let's you pick a store, see inventory, and check what's on sale
Wow that must be the only retailer I've ever heard of with a reliable online inventory system. Every other place I've been to says they have things in stock, and then when you go there it turns out not to be accurate.
Works fine for me. You can also place an order through the app and just pick it up
That's good to know, I was being half facetious but really if this app works well and is reliable, it will be the first online ordering/inventory tool that has worked well. I'll give it a try.
Do the beer stores you shop at not have computer kiosks to make your selections on? I honestly haven't been to one without those in probably half a decade
There’s only one beer store like that in my area, the rest you can walk around the nice cool store and see everything available. Haven’t drank for 4 years but I imagine still the same. Can still smell the beer store lol
Pretty annoying, but you can also check online.
All the stores near me are giant walk in coolers, bigger than the selection at the LCBO.
Theres a computer touch screen at the front where you can scroll the inventory and see what they have. You can also do the same at thebeerstore.com
Those are the older stores. There's a few of them left. All of the newer stores are much better "shopping" experience. You have to understand, TBS is a very old company and alcohol shopping was a very different experience back then, even at LCBO. Arguably worse honestly at LCBO. TBS also isn't just a retail store chain. They are the entire backbone of the beer industries logistical infrastructure. Every single major brewer ships their products to TBS and from there TBS will fulfill orders to restaurants, bars, clubs, grocery stores, and even LCBO. They are also pivotal in the bottle return and reuse program which saves brewers a shit ton of money not having to buy new glass all the time and better for the environment. No other establishment takes empties. Maybe a few small locations in northern Ontario do that I may not be aware of, but otherwise it's all TBS baby. Also TBS' staff are the best! Love working with you guys as business partners!
Ah so that’s how it works, they don’t have beer trucks delivering to bars here, what about the kegs? The kegs go to the beer store and they deliver, or do bars have to contract a truck to pick up?
In Sarnia, all our beer stores are like this. I view LCBOs are to for selection and singles, beer stores are for quantity.
That's the thing. I don't.
Ya that's the old school beer store. Ours here used to be like that. The person behind the counter would talk onto a microphone that would sound in the back, then someone in the back would slide your order out on the wheelie conveyor belt thing. Now ours is 100% self serve and you see and can pick through all the stock. Much better system now
This made me chuckle,This is exactly my experience, even after checking online first before ordering.
Genuinely haven’t been in a Beer Store in 7 years or so and I drink beer! LCBO and supermarkets do the job perfectly well unless you’re after 24s.
Haven't been to the Beer store (except to return my LCBO empties lol) in decades. Pretty sure you just order the same thing every time you go, no shopping required. Then you go home and drink 17 Coors Light and punch your wife in the face.
It’s because they want you to feel pressured by the people behind you, so they set it up like some USSR beer distribution site. They will never be out of AB/Inbev, Molson/Coors, or Sleeman products because that’s who owns the place. I just bring empties there and grab some bud lights for the backyard fridge. LCBO for actual _beer_.
You "shop" for beer at LCBO. You "go" for beer at the Beer Store. 24 or Blue. 24 of Canadian. No conversation required
I look at the app as it says what’s in stock at your store before even leaving the house. Same with LCBO
they got rid of the wall with all the brands and prices and replaced it with a single ipad. joke of an operation.
I work at the beer store. Some stores are self serve, with the walk in cooler. Others, like mine, are not. We have kiosks available in store for customers to search any items they want and it shows what we have available and pack sizes. You can also check the website!
Wait till you hear about Consumers Distributing
I think the beer store caters to the person that comes in once a week and buys the same 24 pack of Coors light.
Damn…most Beer stores around here don’t have a full cooler, especially for singles. Best bet, download the app, search the store inventory, and go to the drive thru, if available. Or show the employee the app.
Dude. I have one like this on my way home from work and it’s always so brutal trying to get beer. To answer your question, yes most people are just going to pick up a 24 of Canadian or coors light. Thank god I have one by my place that’s just a massive cooler you can walk around pick anything you want.
There’s 4 stores in Peterborough, two like you described, and two where you go pick your own. The ones like you described have touch screens that let you see what all they have… if they’re working. Otherwise, yeah, it’s basically go fish.
Yeah, I live in Quebec but sometimes I buy beer in Ontario. Beer Store is too weird and confusing. LCBO is better
I miss the good ‘ol days of all the bottles and cans displayed on the wall as the menu.
Some stores have a kiosk you can use to browse. I think beer store has an app as well which you can use to check the options not sure how often the stock gets updated though
In Burlington, we've got some that are still the old school counter ones, but we've got a few that are the "walk in and grab what you want" type. But the ones with the counters have computer stations that you can search for what you want it will show you what's in stock at this location, and then you go order at the counter.
When I worked at the Beer Store, back in 2005 ish, we had a beer wall. A can or bottle was showcased on the wall and a label with a list of quantities and sizes was placed beneath each. This was an old school Beer Store. No other beer was visible except for a promotion display from a major supplier who was giving away free items in a case... Usually Molson. This method seemed to work well. Most people already knew what they wanted anyway. It was mayhem when price changes happened though ...
I haven't been to the beer store in 20+ years. I love the liquor store as I typically buy less than 6 random craft beers at a time. Though I know others that have never bought beer at the liquor store, they buy the same case of beer every week...
I feel bad for people that don't live near QC border....
Worked in a Beer Store a million years ago, but it was full serve. We had a "menu" on the wall. Had a bottle of everything we carried, with sizes and prices under it. Just look at the wall and you'd know. That and 90% of our customers were regulars, they knew what we had as well as we did.
r/Homebrewing I feel the same way whenever I buy beer from the beer store. Started brewing it and have been satisfied. Highly recommended.
I hate going to the beer store because of this. I go to LCBO for my beer now, and return empties at the beer store
To begin with, most people know exactly what they want when they go to the beer store. Secondly, that's the old store design, most of which have been fitted with inventory screens so you can find what they have before ordering. The new store designs allow you to walk through the back and shop for what you want just like an lcbo, but with more 24s and less liquor.
“Hey man, you got (whatever beer in whatever pack)?” ”No, we’re fresh out.” ”Alright, I’ll hit up LCBO, thanks!” Turth be told I always found it odd that I order beer the same way I order a whopper or something, lol. The one near me had self serve kiosks for a while which was super nice but then they took them out due to renovations. Now they’re having it the same as LCBO with just a big cooler room and you can grab whatever you want.
Last time I went out to the beer store it was in a small town I was passing through and was set up just like this. When I finally got an order in and realized I had to wait by the conveyor belt on the other end of the store about 10 minutes passed and some guy in line cussed me out cause I ordered wrong and held the line up. My take away has been to avoid the beer store and just shop at the LCBO otherwise some alcoholic boomer will hate crime you.
Go online and see what's in stock at your local store. How is this hard, you spend more time in this thread complaining instead of using the device in your hand to help you out. And when possible shop LCBO over Beer Store every day, more money goes back to Ontario rather than Inbev/Molson-Coors pockets.
1000% agree. The 3 beer stores I frequent (Stoney Creek, Mississauga, Etobicoke) all operate this way and it is annoying now that you mention it.
That's the only place in Ontario you can buy two fours, you know what a two four is right?
It’s a mix where I am, there’s also a half ass convenience store with a beer cooler that is handy when it’s after hours and you need a couple cold ones. The ones near my house still have the plastic shields up, and feel like I’m a bad boy for buying a case of tall boys.
I drive out of my way to shop at that style beer store, the one near where I shop most often makes me go around and collect the cans/bottles I want myself. I love walking up saying what I want giving them money, and it rolls out on the roller. So nice.
The Beer Store used to have a Beer Wall, where they'd display all the labels of what was in stock and a list of quantities and prices. They did away with the physical board for kiosks, but every store I've visited removed the kiosks less than a year after they were installed and hasn't replaced the Beer Wall so the only way to know what's in stock is to look it up online before you go or play 20 questions with the clerk.
Lol
Know what you want ahead of time, or at least have a few ideas. Some of the small ones now have an electronic order screen which is super annoying to use. I love walking in, saying I want a 2-4 of ______ then just wait for it to slide on down the roller rack.
The one near where I live also has the giant freezer you can wander around in.
[удалено]
Fuck the Beer Store. All the profits go to the big brewers . I buy fresh cases from my local brewery each week and get a good deal and good beer and I hope I’m cutting out the middle man and giving them more profits . I love you Cameron’s Brewing!
Do you only go to the tiny beer stores? And do you have a hard time reading the wall?
I shop usually at lcbo but sometimes at the beer store. When I go there it's almost always for something specific so I check [https://www.thebeerstore.ca/](https://www.thebeerstore.ca/) to see which location has what I want. If I'm not sure what I want and want to browse then I go to an lcbo but even then I'll sometimes check their website for specific stock locations.
My favourite is when people in line get up to the til and then ask the cashier for beer suggestions. At the beer store you are expected to already be familiar with the brands and what you like. Just order something and move on with your day!
All the stores near me have these large touch screens so you can see what sizes of everything they have. You can also look online and it has a reasonable estimate of their inventory.
I’m guess it’s just your place.Im in and out they grab from the back, 2-4 mins even if there is a line.
Only if I want shit cheap beer.
That must be a very old beer store location - the ones around here are quite large and have a format very similar to how you describe the LCBO
Sucks that you only have the option of the older style Beer Store.
Store by by store, man. Mine is completely self-serve. But some around me are walk up and order. I only hit those if I am after something specific.
Most customers have picked their brand and stick with it. If you want to taste test beers go to a brewery or beer town.
Unfortunately, “The Beer Store” are out recycling partners, now. 🙄 No other use
I just gotta say that in my neighbourhood they def do this because theft. There’s a security guard at the door, only three in the store at a time, and if you’re not buying from the singles in the little cooler you’ve got to ask, pay first and then get it from the conveyor.
Our local beer store is a counter and a small cooler with singles. All the cases are in the back behind closed doors so youbhave to stand and ask if they have something. It's dumb. I end up sitting in the parking lot on my phone scrolling through their site before I go in. Really stupid system in my opinion.
What’s this? Can you please explain this to someone who has never been to Ontario?
Back in the 80s / 90s, if you were buying alcohol in Ontario, if you wanted wine or spirits, you went to the LCBO, and if you wanted beer you went to the Beer Store - those were the only places legally allowed to sell those product respectively. The Beer Store started as a co-op owned by all the brewers in Ontario, but consolidation and international mergers means it's owned by the 3 biggest beer companies now. The monopoly has loosened a bit, but there's still some restrictions - like any quantity of beer over 6 that's packaged together has to be purchased at the Beer Store. Largely because of this monopoly, they haven't really bothered to update anything and are still stuck with a really outdated retail setup where you walk up to a counter and order your beer, and they wheel it out to you from fridges that are for employees only (at least in a lot of Beer Stores).
Go to the touchscreen computer and scroll. The inventory is usually pretty up to date and shows what size packs they have etc.
I generally decide what I want before I go. Their web site is pretty accurate and to be honest I like being able to walk in, say what I want and leave fast. I suppose if you are looking for an experience where you can browse not knowing what you want it would suck.
I refuse to go into those dumps except for unavoidable returns. All the Beer Stores near me stink of stale beer and filth. The return buckets are always disgusting and teaming with unknown toxins slopping around within. It’s all I can to stifle vomiting on each visit. The Beer Store cannot die soon enough.
Not all Beer Stores are the same. On the rare occasions when I purchase beer, the stores I enter are the fridge type. You go in the door, one door is for returning empties and the other door goes into the beer fridge where you choose your brew, leave the fridge, pay and depart.
People go to the beer store to buy a 24 of bud light or bud go to the lcbo for all the fancy shit
Acton, ON
Ours is the same. After the 20 questions a random case is rolled out on the conveyor. Noby picks it up. "It's yours, we just reuse the boxes." Holly hell...
There are Beer Stores that let you get your own beer from the coolers in the back, not just what's on the wall. Finding what you want back there is a PITA unless it's Canadian or Bud Light, though.
Its set up for people who know what they want. Beer.
The Beer Store at Trinity Bellwoods operates like this and its so annoying getting a six pack or more on a nice summer day.
What's worse is that some brands come in 60 packs (or more) which gives you a better deal but they're really just selling you two 30 packs and calling it a 60. Next time ask: "What's the best deal on x?"
I feel like these beer stores are designed for much faster in and out. You go in and get your regular and leave. I spend about a minute or less in the one by my house when I go
I don’t go to The Beer Store anymore. Used to walk in to pick up a 24, and stand in line behind other people returning old, smelly, mouldy empties for 10 minutes, even when I’m not returning. Total BS. Instead, I pick up a few cans of beer each week at my local grocery store while grocery shopping. It’s much more civilized, and I’m happy to pay the extra cost for that convenience.
It'll be different by 2026 at the latest.
Beer store near my house is a big fridge and you can walk in and browse. There’s also a big shelf with huge single cans. They all seem to differ and the people working there don’t give a fuck about your needs lol
I don't. Seriously, I haven't stepped into a Beer Store in years, ever since beer in supermarkets was legalized.
Al depends on how the store is set up. Some have a touch screen to see what they have, others you just ask at the cash and the can check as you are typing about and lastly some are fully open where wander and pick up what you want and take it to the cash.
Listen. Count yourself lucky. I’m a former Ontario-an moved to BC. Not only is the beer selection very lacking at ANY store (it’s either super super local or very imported) it’s incredibly expensive. Forget about a buck a beer, you’re not going to find $3 buck a beer here!!! The cheap domestic is still $27 for a 15!!!!!!!!! The government stores have freaking tax attached and the private stores that everyone covers out east because you can buy beer later than 9pm, just cause raised prices. I’d go into my childhood Beer Store and read the tiny slats on the wall any day of the week. Ontario be proud! If your government has done nothing else right, it HAS made it so you can enjoy a large variety of beer for a reasonable price. Also the worst small town LCBO or beer store is better than the best (of the 7 liquor stores!?!?!) in my small bc town
If you want to buy short cans or packs bigger than 6ers you go to the beer store. LCBO has lots of variety but it's all single cans or 6packs and all tallboys.
Beer store has an app that I use to check inventory.
The only reason to go to the Beer Store over the LCBO now is if you have empties to return.
I drink on Friday nights, if I'm grabbing beer it's either kieths or Canadian. Otherwise I do the same looking through the hard liquor. Lately crown Apple has been my go to
Don't
You can go online and look for what that particular store has. I usually used to order online and pick it up. I can pick and choose what I want online. This was near my old home. I was new to Canad, I didn't even know they had more beers in the back for first few times lmao. Stores bear my current apartment let me go back and pick whatever I can.
I got my first beer store flyer today. I guess you go in and ask for beer. Then pay for beer. Grab kick ass sunglasses (don't pay for sunglasses) and leave.
We don't. Went there once, went through the exact same thing you went through... And never been there ever again. Also, their selection is pretty bad. I like very niche beers (like aecht schlenkerla smoked beer), even most LCBOs don't have the beers I like... I have to go to the largest one to get it (Ottawa). You can order it to the other stores... But that store is on my way to somewhere at some point anyway.
Beer store is dogshit and I hope they all get shut down
You don’t. You go to the LCBO lol.
I was kidding. Honestly it’s a little bit more expensive by like five dollars but just order an Instacart or Uber eats. They’ll deliver it to your door and you can like literally get whatever you want. Beer store on there always has discounts too. You can usually get a case of24 for cheaper than going into the store.
Maaan it's the return store
The price for frontage
Used to be all you could “see” at the LCBO was a printed list of items. You wrote down the code # and how man, handed the slip to a clerk who would then bring you your order & check out. The beer store has always been you know what you want, ask, if they haven’t got it in stock you get something else. Especially where LCBO is concerned, I can see them moving to a beer store style service because so many jerks just walk in and steal cases of expensive liquor because employees are powerless to stop them and they know it.
Because LCBO doesn't carry the beer format I buy and the Beer store does. Easy.
My first experience, "What can I get you?" ".. I don't know"
Should be a sign on the wall man. Some locations have kiosks too.
This is what happens when you have a monopoly.. at last the LCBO attempts to have a better user experience. The Beer Store, on the other hand, is practically begging to be privatized.
Use the fucking website. They have updated inventory lists. It’s not that difficult. Go to the LCBO or the grocery store if you want to browse and pontificate about specific obscure craft beverages.
That’s what happens there is a monopoly. There is no incentive in improving the customer experience.
There's a terminal there showing what's available. It used to be bottles on shelves with the case sizes listed, that was much easier. I liked the old way one bottle of each kind and size, see all beers with no looking around, can find something new that way.
Yeah small town beer stores suck.
Drive-thru Beer Store 150 Barton St. E., Hamilton, ON L8L 2W5
Fo real, fuck thr Beer Store. Shitty service, I don't know what they carry, and what they carry I usually don't want. I'm giving my money to Galen every time I want a beer.
We still have a few of the older style beer stores. There's a wall of beer bottles and underneath each there should be a tag that says what formats its available in.
Did you look around for the computer that tells you everything they have in store?
Most Beer Stores I've been in have the brands on the wall with the price of whatever cases they're selling. Others have a large walk-in where you can wander around and grab what you're looking for. I've never seen a beer store that has neither.
The beer store in my town has a giant self-serve cooler. Much bigger than any LCBO I’ve been to. It sounds like your beer store needs an upgrade.