Week 2 Restart: Liquor, Hospitality & Cannabis Updates |
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Dear ABLE BC Members & Industry Colleagues, As the BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) enters its second week of recovery following the BCGEU strike, operations across liquor, hospitality, and cannabis channels continue to progress. During this recovery period, ABLE BC is actively advocating on your behalf to ensure a fair and equitable approach of product distribution is implemented to support both liquor and cannabis businesses in BC impacted by the strike.
Both the LDB Liquor Wholesale and Cannabis Operations teams have shared progress updates highlighting strong shipping volumes, steady inventory levels, and a return to more typical delivery schedules. Below, we’ve summarized the key developments licensees should be aware of as the LDB moves through this restart phase. If you have any questions or are experiencing issues related to re-ordering & LDB operations, please contact Bo Chen at bo@ablebc.ca. |
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Liquor and Hospitality Update |
As announced on October 27, the BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) has officially resumed operations following the recent strike action.
The LDB has now released its first progress report, outlining how the restart is going and what wholesale customers can expect in the weeks ahead.
Below is a summary of key highlights from the LDB’s Week 1 update, including order fulfillment progress, delivery schedules, and inventory levels. We encourage you to read the full update on the LDB Wholesale Operations website. - Shipping: Over 600,000 cases were shipped in Week 1 across 2,100 customer deliveries province-wide.
- Processing: Orders are handled in the order received; distribution centres are operating
24/7 with additional staff, overtime, and weekend shifts to manage increased volumes.
- Deliveries:
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Most deliveries returned to standard scheduling, occasional delays may still occur.
- Customers are notified by
Wholesale Customer Centre (WCC) when orders release.
- Stores should ensure payments are up to date & orders are within
receiving capacity.
- Non-Stocked Wholesale Product (NSWP) Orders:
- Orders are processedin the order they are received.
- Third-party warehouses manage NSWP inventory and transfer products to the LDB, where they are consolidated with customer orders for delivery.
- If a product isn’t available in time, it will be added to the next available shipment.
- Inventory Levels:
- Inventory across distribution centres: 1.77 million cases on hand, 1.33 million available for sale.
- Overall in-stock level: 92% (beer, wine, and refreshment beverages all above 94%).
- Product Availability:
- Diageo spirits (e.g., Smirnoff Red Label, Crown Royal, Captain Morgan Spiced Rum) remain in limited supply.
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Replenishment shipments are expected in the coming weeks.
- Hospitality Support:
- 15 temporary Hospitality Hubs remain open across BC to help hospitality customers restock quickly.
- The six-bottle
limit on spirits has been lifted.
For More: Visit the LDB Wholesale Operations website. |
The BC Cannabis Wholesale has also shared an update on warehouse progress, customer care recovery, and preparations for the busy holiday season. Bo comments: "Heading into Week 1, members raised concerns on product freshness. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of LDB Cannabis - I'm delighted to share that majority of inventory are less than three months old, ensuring freshness and quality for private retailers." Here’s a summary of key highlights from the first week of recovery: - Strong Shipping Performance:
- Between Oct 26-Nov 1, the warehouse processed and shipped 114,228 cases
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All orders placed before and during the first week back have now been fulfilled.
- Customer order cut-off deadlines are returning to normal.
- Website Technical Issue:
- A small number of customers experienced order submission issues on the BC Cannabis Wholesale website.
- If this occurs, customers should
log out and back in; if problems persist, contact the
Customer Care Centre at businesscustomercarecentre@bcldb.com or 1-833-420-2227.
- Inventory Levels:
- Over 320,000 cases on hand after Week 1, with ample inventory in stock and on order to meet holiday demand.
- Seasonal SKUs have begun arriving to support retailers during the busy period.
- Customer Care Centre (CCC):
- CCC is now fully operational and has
caught up on all return and support requests.
- Service levels have returned to normal, with teams focused on maintaining timely and effective support.
LDB Cannabis reports optimism heading into the second week of recovery and the holiday season, emphasizing continued efforts to meet customer demand and uphold service standards.
For more, visit the BC Cannabis Wholesale website. |
Advocate for Our Industry & Join ABLE BC Today!
In critical moments like these, ABLE BC’s advocacy is more important than ever. We are your voice at the table, fighting to protect your business and ensure government understands the urgent needs of our industry.
By joining ABLE BC, you gain more than member benefits like discounts, services, and resources. You become part of a united front that amplifies our industry’s collective strength. Together, we create impact where it matters most: with decision-makers in government.
For over 50 years, ABLE BC has secured business-friendly policy wins. But we can’t do this work without our members. As a non-profit, your membership fees directly fuel our ability to safeguard your business today and for the future.
Join ABLE BC and strengthen our industry's voice.
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