REGINA -- The province of Saskatchewan says it plans to allow third-party companies to distribute speciality liquor products from warehouses.
The changes to The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act were introduced in the legislature on Wednesday.
“We already use Saskatchewan-based third party warehouses to distribute beer and coolers to retailers but have been sourcing many specialty products from warehouses outside the province,” Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming (SLGA) Minister Gene Makowsky said in a news release. “This change will allow such warehouses to set up in Saskatchewan to distribute a broad range of specialty beer, wine and spirits.”
The province says specialty products account for around five per cent of Saskatchewan's liquor sales and typically covers products ordered in small quantities on an irregular basis.
Right now, SLGA orders products from warehouses outside of Saskatchewan and then ships them through SLGA's Distribution Centre.
According to the province, allowing warehouses to sell specialty products will help SLGA focus on maintaining popular, high volume alcohol. Any applicable markup will still be collected by SLGA, no matter the distributor.
