On a hot day in the summer, a good publicist can sell editors on some very thin stories. Take the other day when the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) introduced 12-packs of beer in some test stores. No longer does the veteran beer drinker in those neighbourhoods have to go to those disgusting Beer Stores to get a cold 12-pack of his or her favourite suds.
And besides, in modern Beer Stores to day, where you have to go into the cold-room to search for the right brand, you can get pneumonia on the side. Walking from a 28 degree (Celsius) day into a warehouse for chilled beer can be a drop of maybe 20 degrees. You can come out severely chilled. You have to work on their sympathy to get one of the properly dressed employees to go in and get your box of beer for you.
And that is why the LCBO thought they could one-up the Beer Store by moving into 12-pack territory. In most liquor stores, you only have to reach into a cooler to get your cold carton of beer. (The LCBO stores that have switched to cold rooms for their beer sales do not get our beer business.)
And beside, the LCBO gives us Air Miles. It might not be by very much but that makes the LCBO cheaper than the rotten Beer Barons’ boutiques.
This all comes up by way of being a bit tired of just talking about the federal election. The province also provides political entertainment. We hear so many derogatory remarks about Premier Wynne these days that we have reached a point where we almost want to defend her. Well almost.
But her position on booze sales in this province is untenable. To make the big grocery chains richer selling booze is an affront to the voters. We could have made convenience stores cleaner, more profitable and better regulated and Wynne ignores the opportunity.
Mind you those clueless union people who work for the LCBO need to smarten up in their advertising. Have you heard the radio ads about all the people who will be leaving the grocery parking lots drunk? Those kinds of scare tactics should embarrass the entire damn union. We always thought well of that union until we heard that silly ad.
Maybe we need to strengthen our campaign to sell the LCBO. Up until now, we wanted the stores to keep the union in place.
-30-
Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to [email protected]