Grocers' booze stocks are starting to run dry

Panic buying, LCBO limit on wholesale orders are to blame, experts say

- JOSH RUBIN

The beer and wine at a Markham Loblaws were nearly dry on Wednesday. Loblaws spokesperson Dave Bauer said there haven’t been any supply chain issues, but customers are buying more than they usually would.

Is booze the new toilet paper?

In a flashback to the TP-hoarding early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, shoppers are stocking up on wine and beer at grocery stores during the first strike in LCBO history, leaving some bare spots on the shelves.

The root cause? A combination of consumer panic and the LCBO’s insistence that stores only place large-scale orders during the strike by 9,000 workers, say experts.

“For sure, there’s some panic buying,” said retail analyst Lisa Hutcheson, managing partner of retail consultancy J.C. Williams Group.

Michelle Wasylyshen, a spokesperson for the Retail Council of Canada, acknowledged that there was some extra buying by shoppers, but expressed confidence that grocers would be able to restock the shelves.

“We are definitely seeing higher demand in some places,” said Wasylyshen, adding that the shelves weren’t universally wiped clean.