Ryder: Alcohol In Alberta Grocery/Convenient Stores?

Yesterday, the Alberta government decided against allowing grocery and corner stores to sell alcohol after a review concluded that it would “seriously harm” small businesses. As someone who quite enjoys healthy competition (and tipping back a few bevys) you may think I’m against this decision, but in my personal opinion I think the major grocery chains in this province already rake in enough of the average person’s pay cheque, so I’m actually very pleased with this move. Also, it’s not like it’s hard to find one of the 1600 liquor stores in the province, they’re as common as mustaches at a dad convention. Maybe I’m just jaded, but if this decision went the other way I could absolutely see the grocery chains joining forces and making prices so low that they would eliminate most of the liquor stores, then all agreeing to jack the prices through the roof so their CEOs could buy bigger yachts, while the rest of us are left having to settle for a 6-pack when we really wanted a 12er.