Business operations winding down for SLGA stores
Business operations are winding down at Saskatchewan government liquor stores as the remaining 34 locations will close their doors in the new year.
Some prices have been slashed by nearly 50 per cent as the government begins clearing the shelves.
Lori Carr, minister in charge of SLGA said the stores are going to start closing in the third week of January and then slowly transition to the end of March.
“What we’re doing within our stores right now is the SKUs that have the least volume, we’re putting sales on those products and allowing people the opportunity to buy them up now,” she said.
All inventory must be cleared out by March 31 when the government exits liquor retailing. The store licenses will be auctioned off to private interests soon.
The 34 government stores made a $9 million profit just three years ago. That number has declined sharply as more private stores opened.
Because of the closures, 350 full and part time workers will lose their jobs.
NDP MLA Aleana Young said many of the staff have been working in the stores for years.
“I know we’ve heard stories of people saying, ‘You know, I’m a 50-year-old woman. I don’t know what I’m going to do next,’” she said.
Sale items will not be restocked once they’re sold but more popular brands will be as SLGA stores move into their final busy holiday season.
The government announced their plans to sell all SLGA liquor stores and exit the retail market on Oct. 26 of this year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.