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
Powerful earthquake rocks Turkiye and Syria, kills more than 1,300
A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked wide swaths of Turkiye and Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 1,300 people. Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area.

Canadian dollar's outlook for 2023 uncertain as interest rate hikes wane: experts
Experts say the outlook for the loonie in 2023 largely depends on commodity prices, how the U.S. dollar fares, and whether central banks are successful in avoiding a major recession.
BoC's first summary of deliberations coming this week. Here's what to expect
The Bank of Canada is set to publish its first summary of deliberations Wednesday, giving Canadians a peak into the governing council's reasoning behind its decision to raise interest rates last month.
Beyonce becomes most decorated artist in Grammys history; Harry Styles wins album of the year
Beyonce sits alone atop the Grammy throne as the ceremony's most decorated artist in history, but at the end of Sunday's show it was Harry Styles who walked away with the album of the year honour.
Charles Kimbrough, best known for role in 'Murphy Brown,' dies at 86
Charles Kimbrough, a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor who played a straight-laced news anchor opposite Candice Bergen on 'Murphy Brown,' died Jan. 11 in Culver City, California. He was 86.
Advocates come together to help sailors stuck for months on tugboats in Quebec port
Groups that advocate for seafarers are expressing concern for 11 sailors who are spending a harsh Quebec winter aboard three tugboats that have been detained for months in the port of Trois-Rivières.
Four Americans, two Canadians fined $50K for illegal moose hunting in northern Ont.
An investigation that lasted almost two years has resulted in moose hunting violation convictions for six people and a lodge in Red Lake in northwestern Ontario.
5 things to know for Monday, February 6, 2023
The first battle tank from Canada destined for Ukraine lands in Poland, advocates come together to help sailors who have been stuck for months in a Quebec port, and Beyonce becomes the most decorated artist in Grammys history. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
First tank sent by Canada for Ukrainian forces arrives in Poland
The first of the Leopard 2 tanks Canada is donating to Ukrainian forces has arrived in Poland.