In Quebec, you can now pick up a bottle of gin with your bulk toilet paper at Costco or Maxi, get wine delivered to your door in minutes via Uber Eats and soon get targeted texts about the latest deals on booze.<\/p>\n
With the consumption of alcohol on a steady decline, the province\u2019s state-run liquor retailer is making an aggressive attempt to make sure sales don\u2019t dip.<\/p>\n
A series of recent moves by the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 des alcools du Qu\u00e9bec (SAQ) has raised concern among public health experts, who worry the agency is prioritizing sales over social responsibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we have been seeing for the last months and last years is that [there] are really more and more strategies put in place to be able to sell, which in turn can have major impacts on health and on overall costs for our society as well,\u201d said Kim Bri\u00e8re-Charest, a researcher with the Quebec Public Health Association.<\/p>\n
The SAQ remains a significant source of revenue for the Quebec government, generating $1.4 billion for the province in 2024-25 \u2014 and the head of the Crown corporation wants to keep it that way.<\/p>\n
At the same time, people\u2019s thirst for alcohol is down. Quebecers are following the national trend of drinking less, with the province seeing a 3.6 per cent drop in total volume sold last year.<\/p>\n
‘Buy it from us’<\/p>\n
In its strategic plan released earlier this month<\/a>, the Crown corporation outlined a strategy to \u201croll up our sleeves and take action.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuebecers are drinking less and, above all, differently. For the first time in years, the SAQ is seeing its volume sales decline. But this isn\u2019t the end. It\u2019s a new beginning,\u201d Jacques Farcy, SAQ\u2019s president and CEO, says in the document\u2019s introduction.<\/p>\n In addition to the new partnership with Uber Eats, the SAQ is expanding the number of \u201cSAQ Zones\u201d in grocery stores, convenience stores and a Costco in Montreal. The SAQ also wants to use more personalized text messages and push notifications to drive sales, according to its plan.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not trying to encourage alcohol consumption \u2014 on the contrary, we welcome its decline. What we do want, however, is for those who choose to consume beverage alcohol to buy it from us,\u201d Farcy said in the plan.<\/p>\n This approach has drawn criticism from groups including the Institut de recherche et d’informations socio\u00e9conomiques (IRIS)<\/a>, a Quebec think tank.<\/p>\n A report earlier this year argued that the SAQ risks \u201ccounteracting the positive effects on public health associated with public companies\u201d by leaning on private businesses.<\/p>\n IRIS said publicly operated SAQs are more likely to ensure \u201cbetter control over the sale of alcohol, a psychoactive substance whose consumption is linked to various health and safety problems (alcoholism, road accidents, etc.)\u201d<\/p>\n The Canadian Union for Public Employees, which represents SAQ workers<\/a>, took aim at the Uber Eats partnership in particular, for favouring the \u201cAmerican economy at the expense of Quebec\u2019s.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n It also argued that the sale and delivery of alcohol comes with clear and regulated responsibilities, including checking age requirements and assessing buyers\u2019 level of intoxication.<\/p>\n LISTEN | Should the SAQ partner with Uber?:<\/p>\n Let’s Go9:59Should the SAQ partner with Uber for new home delivery service? <\/p>\n Starting next month, if you live on the Island of Montreal, you will be able to have some SAQ products delivered right to your door. But some Quebec companies are not happy with the SAQ’s decision to partner with US-based UberEats for deliveries. That’s story’s coming up next with Dardan Isufi, chief operating officer and a co-founder of Eva.<\/p>\n In a statement in response to these criticisms, SAQ spokesperson Laurianne Tardif said the Crown corporation’s mandate is to “sell alcohol responsibly, and to generate dividends that contribute to the government\u2019s ability to fund public missions.”<\/p>\n “Our initiatives are not intended to increase alcohol consumption, nor to normalize or promote spirits in everyday retail settings,” Tardif said. <\/p>\n “They reflect changing consumer expectations about where and how legal products are accessed, while ensuring that alcohol remains subject to strict oversight, limits and accountability.”<\/p>\n The statement said the SAQ Zones were launched through a\u00a0pilot phase<\/a>\u00a0designed to test different retail spaces in a “highly controlled manner,” including at one Costco in Montreal. She said the partnership with Uber Eats would also be reviewed after a test period.<\/p>\n Alcohol vs. cannabis<\/p>\n Still, public health experts question the SAQ’s approach when studies suggest alcohol has by far the highest economic impact of any drug.\u00a0<\/p>\n