Fewer now think TBS does good job retailing beer

Fewer now think TBS does good job retailing beer

More now want near-monopoly ended than last month

TORONTO January 30^th, 2015 - In a random sampling of public opinion taken by The Forum Poll™ among 1028 Ontario voters, equal proportions approve of the job The Beer Store (formerly Brewer’s Retail) does retailing beer (42%) or disapprove (41%). Close to one fifth do not venture an opinion (17%). This stands in contrast to one month ago, when as few as 3-in-10 disapproved (December 2014 - 31%) and fully half approved (50%). Approval is common to younger voters (35 to 44 - 45%), females (47%) rather than males (35%), the least wealthy (46%) and the wealthier ($60K to $80K - 49%), in southwestern (47%) and northern Ontario (46%), mothers of children under 18 (46%) and the least educated (46%).

One half in total see C-Stores/Grocery Stores as appropriate for retailing beer

Voters are asked where the most appropriate places to retail beer are, and, while the most common single mention is The Beer Store (TBS - 21%), when mentions of other locales are combined, convenience stores (11%), grocery stores (13%) and “all of these” (26%) make up a total of one half of mentions (49%). The LCBO is seen as the most appropriate place to sell beer by one eighth (16%). Brewery-operated stores are given the nod by one tenth (8%).

More now know TBS is foreign owned than last year

Exactly even proportions of voters think TBS is Canadian owned or foreign owned (42% each), while one seventh have no opinion (16%). This stands in contrast to one year ago, when as many as two thirds thought TBS was a Canadian owned business (April 2014 - 62%) and fewer than a quarter knew it was a foreign entity (22%). Knowledge TBS is foreign is common to the youngest (46%), males (55%), the wealthiest ($100K to $250K - 50%), in southwestern Ontario (47%), New Democrats (48%) and mothers of children under 18 (51%).

Well more than half now want TBS to lose near-monopoly

Close to 6-in-10 voters want TBS to lose its “monopoly on most cold beer sales” (58%), while just fewer than one quarter believe in the status quo (22%). Just fewer do not have an opinion (19%). These findings stand in contrast to just one month ago, when just half agreed TBS should lose its monopoly (December 2014 - 51%) and 3-in-10 disagreed (29%).

“The Beer Store has been getting a lot of attention lately, thanks to The Star, and Ontarians are becoming sensitized to the fact they have less choice in beer sales than many other provinces. This kind of attention is naturally corrosive, and will only get worse the more TBS executives plead a losing case," said Forum Research President, Dr. Lorne Bozinoff.

Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416) 960-9603.