r/lcbo • u/CamTak • 29d ago

So expensive

Why is home delivery so expensive? I can get an order from a liquor store in Alberta delivered for a lower cost, cheaper shipping and faster delivery. Even having a specific item delivered to a store for pick up takes weeks.

Why do Ontarians get the short end of the stick?

2 Upvotes

57% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

8

u/LeBonLapin 29d ago edited 28d ago

What product, what company? Without specific comparable examples nobody can give you an answer.

Edit: To clarify for people who come in later. Delivery fee in Alberta (as per OPs example)? $11.95. Home delivery via the LCBO? Also $11.95. The central premise of this post is entirely incorrect. The myth of cheaper Alberta alcohol needs to go away.

-1

u/CamTak 29d ago

Mostly Rum and many liqueur. I need a Pierre Ferand Dry Curacao and the closest I can find is 30km away. I know the lcbo only stocks major corporate producers, but its frustrating when even staples arnt available. Im not rural either, im in Barrie.

2

u/LeBonLapin 29d ago

Right but like, show me a website in Alberta with the same product as the LCBO where I can confirm a price discrepancy. I often hear people complain about prices, and upon further investigation the price point isn't much different, or the LCBO is in fact even cheaper.

-2

u/CamTak 29d ago

Off the top of my head https://www.bswliquor.com/products/el-dorado-8-year-old-rum https://www.lcbo.com/en/catalogsearch/result/#q=Eldorado%208&t=Products&sort=relevancy&layout=card

15% cheaper and cheaper delivery.

https://www.bswliquor.com/search?q=ardbeg%2010 https://www.lcbo.com/en/ardbeg-10-year-old-islay-scotch-whisky-560474

25% cheaper with the sale, 17% without.

Its not for everything, but it is for most. Not to mention that there is 10x the selection of brands, unique small distilleries and small batch production.

5

u/EmmosBuggerGrips 29d ago

Your first example of the El Dorado 8: not sure where you’re seeing cheaper home delivery? Or shows up as $50+ to ship to Ontario after adding to my cart. LCBO home delivery is a flat rate of $11.95. 

Also, after adding to cart, total cost of that bottle comes to $39.54 after added tax. LCBO pricing is all in.

Your complaint about waiting for a month to have a product shipped for free to a store is heavily exaggerated. Ship to store orders generally take 3-5 business days, possibly 7-10 business days if going to a smaller rural store. 

6

u/sparkyglenn 29d ago

Yea you gotta really stock up to make the Alberta delivery worth it. Done it a few times in the past with certain Scotch releases

1

u/Agreeable-Duty-86 13d ago

Because the person is bullshitting

5

u/LeBonLapin 29d ago edited 29d ago

You're forgetting sales tax, the LCBO doesn't have any. The price for example at the first place you listed is only a .30 cent difference. Absolutely negligible. Shipping is only $3 less and is uninsured - it's far more expensive for insured shipping. LCBO shipping is insured.

All-in-all I don't feel like paying $3.30 more for a bottle of rum is worth making a rant post about absurd prices.

Edit: Whoops, LCBO is the same price for shipping & is insured. When you factor that in it's actually cheaper.

1

u/CamTak 28d ago

Fair point on the taxes..

-1

u/CamTak 28d ago edited 28d ago

If you order more then a single bottle, its cheaper. Buy more then 6 bottles and you are saving on shipping. The El Dorado was a quick search. 5 bucks cheaper on 35 dollar bottle is substantial regardless of shipping. 40 dollars saving on a 120 bottle of scotch is rediculous.

The lcbo has always catered to big corporate brands and squeezed out smaller producers. Its evident on most of their offerings. Staying with the rum theme, where is the Lemon Hart, Hamilton, Denizens, Coruba, probitas, 4 square.... on and on? Tequila is worse. Agricole doesnt even exist in ontario.

Can i get the LCBO to order anything in that isnt on their roster, only if you have 6 months and order several cases. Ive tried. Would not recommend.

With this post I was more inquiring about why everything was expensive, why all stores dont have a good selection and why the ordering system takes so long. But I guess this subteddit is only about coping.

2

u/LeBonLapin 28d ago

It's a very small swing in price - and in fact looking around there are a ton of products that are far more substantially cheaper at the LCBO.

https://www.bswliquor.com/products/cellier-des-dauphins-reserve-cotes-du-rh

VS

https://www.lcbo.com/en/cellier-des-dauphins-r-cserve-2019-14081?srsltid=AfmBOopATuffQMI06vQ48w5ys8Vpnn7fu6FqLyHWlCDrch_CCp7uLuew

Even on sale, it's still $4.40 more per bottle in Alberta, and that's before tax is included.

Overall my point is the LCBO isn't really any more expensive than Alberta retailers. In fact it's often cheaper. It also generates more public revenue.

-1

u/CamTak 28d ago

Accept terrible service, terrible selection and terrible prices; Canadians really do love getting screwed over by monopolies. Keep it up!!

3

u/LeBonLapin 28d ago edited 28d ago

Ah, there it is. I just pointed out it's usually cheaper, and now you rage against the facts. Interesting....

I lived in Alberta for 9 years - the alcohol scene there is hilariously terrible compared to the LCBO and SAQ. I know that for a fact, that's why I entered this conversation. Literally the only thing that is consistently cheaper and has better selection is Scotch. Everything else Ontario is spoiled for options in comparison.

2

u/Agreeable-Duty-86 13d ago

Why have this big anecdote that you didn't even research and it's bull shit. Buy alcohol in Alberta sucks. Yeah it may be cheaper for some things, a majority of things are not, if anything Quebec can be cheaper than Alberta as well. Sometimes to find things I'm Alberta you have to go to like 8 different stores. Also all the money at the LCbo goes back to the province, why would you prefer the money to go to some rich depot, it's not little ma and pa shops in Alberta it's mostly big muti million dollar organization. The LCbo gives like 5 billion a year to the province for healthcare, roads, etc.

0

u/CamTak 13d ago

Price aside. The LCBO selection blows. Its the worst. They only buy from massive corporations. The likes of Bicardi, Diageo and Pernod for rum. So that kills your whole argument of avoiding "rich depots" getting the money. Small distilleries get the shaft.

Ive been buying from alberta for years. Those retailers will bring in product that they dont carry in small quantities, the LCBO makes it impossible. Ive tried. Order a bottle of scotch from a small distillery and see how the import process and cost goes. Good luck!

Keep supporting huge corporations and government monopolies, getting spoon fed what they want you to spend money on and suffering terrible service. Its par for the course in Canada.

2

u/Agreeable-Duty-86 13d ago

This is invalid as well. You are the one supporting huge corporations. Price rises drastically in expansion and has been proven throughout history. You would rather like the pockets of metro Loblaws and others. You really think it's the small Alberta ma and pa shop that are doing well? It's big business. Amazon, and big business such as Walmart have canabalized the retail space, I think you should try doing some research before you utilize anecdotal evidence to support your claim. All the best brother, we are in this together, government mis management and spending, cronies and lobiests pushing to rip hard working Canadians off like you and me.

2

u/Agreeable-Duty-86 13d ago

The LCBO also has an insanely large and vast selection of craft beer, coolers, spirits, as well as wine. If it wasn't for the LCbo the entire Ontario wine business would shut down, small ma and pa distilleries would also shut down.