Amid the on-going strike by the BC General Employees Union outside liquor and cannabis distribution facilities across the province, including Kamloops, the BC government has begun to limit alcohol sales.
According to a group which represents bars and private liquor stores, effective immediately, no more than three items can be purchased at government run liquor stores across British Columbia at any one time, with the exception of beer.
However, Jeff Guignard, the head of the Alliance of Beverage Licenses, says the restrictions will not be implemented at private liquor stores.
“We trust our customers to come in and not engage in panic buying.”
“But at the end of the day, you will notice certain products like imported products as well as refreshment beverages, things like Hay Y’all, Nude, Nutrl, Gin Smash, those are the ones that are going to be out of stock of first.”
Additionally, Guignard says pubs and restaurants have a lot of BC beer, BC wine, and BC spirits currently, however, he suggests they will be out of stock soon.
“But its up to government stores how they would like to control it in their environment.”
He suggests people will begin to notice shortages of popular alcohol products over the weekend and by next week.
This as, most stores, pubs and restaurants do not carry a ton of inventory, as Guignard explains its money they have to invest into the business.
“Normally we can get one or two or three deliveries a week from the LDB, but with those warehouses shut down as of Monday, we have missed orders on Wednesday, we have missed orders today(Friday),” explained.
“By the time we get through this weekend, I can expect popular products imported products, spirits, refreshment beverages will start to be out of stock.”
Guignard is calling on the BCGEU and the BC Government to get back to the bargaining table immediately.
“If this goes even another week, you are going to see businesses running out of products, reducing hours, closing and starting to layoff staff, this is happening at the exact time that the BC hospitality industry starting to recover from two years of financial losses from the pandemic.”
-With Files From Paul James
