It's one of the only ways Quebec distillers can sell their products. But as the Société des alcools du Québec aims to cut down on a glut of locally produced spirits amid a downturn in sales and a crowded market, some producers are worried.Samuel Gaudette of Comont distillery in Quebec's Eastern Townships worries how he will sell his products if they are removed from liquor store shelves.
The number of producers making spirits has exploded. There were just two in the province in 2011, while there are nearly 70 today, according to the Quebec Union of Microdistilleries.Quebec spirit sales grew by 75 per cent between 2019 and 2022, according to the SAQ. "The withdrawal of these products will allow us to redistribute 15 per cent of the shelf space toward products more sought-after by customers," a spokesperson for the SAQ said in an email.
"None of these channels exist in Quebec, and this problem is unique to Quebec," said Vivek Astvansh, an associate professor of quantitative marketing at McGill University in Montreal. Cirka said while the SAQ has used local producers to its advantage in the past to drive sales and bring in customers, it is now prepared to leave some of them behind.
Claudia Loupret, a spokesperson for the office of Quebec's finance minister, said in an email that the government has already granted accommodations to producers by allowing them to sell their products from their production facilities.