Kamloops liquor store owner says wine sales at Save-On has had ‘minimal impact’ on business

Apr 22, 2018 | 9:56 AM

KAMLOOPS — Nearly two years after the City of Kamloops approved a bylaw variance to allow B.C. VQA wine sales at Save-On Foods in Sahali, a vocal opponent of the variance says the impact has been minimal.

Al Deacon owns and operates the Fox and Hounds Neighbourhood Pub and the Sahali Liquor Store. 

He says he was concerned impulse purchases of wine at the grocery store would negatively impact liquor retailers in Kamloops.

“The initial impact was higher than what it’s kind of leveled out to be,” Deacon said. “Not everybody wants to purchase B.C. VQA wines. We’re still getting the traffic, … that segment of B.C. VQA has just probably narrowed in our sales regiment.”