I actually remember the days when the LCBO was a liquor control board and kept all their product behind closed doors and you had to write the product and code on a piece of paper and hand it to the clerk, who then disappeared into the back to retrieve your purchase.  There was no way of knowing what stock they had and the staff were of little help in choosing anything.  You had to know what you wanted and this usually meant purchasing what your parents drank.  Over time the LCBO evolved into a liquor store based on a grocery store with all the product on low shelves so the staff, who never ventured far from the cash registers, could keep an eye on any suspicious persons. The staff, for the most part, were on had to "card" those who looked too young and to catch any shop lifters; customer service was far down the list of responsibilities.  But for the first time you could browse the stock and select product based on the bottles, though you usually chose what you had come to enjoy drinking in the local taverns.  Eventually, this gave way to the full service stores we have come to enjoy today.

And enjoy I do!  The last few years I have actually enjoyed my shopping experiences at the LCBO more than I do at any other retailer.  They have been a leader in the field of service with items like the Food and Drink magazine (who doesn't pick up one of those when they come out?)  the Vintages release catalogue and several intermittent publications aimed at helping consumers find new products.  Inside the stores they have retrained staff to be more responsive to customers, to look for people who may need a hand finding something, added "Product Specialists" who can make recommendations for food and drink combinations and have regular product tastings.  In addition, the return policy is unmatched anywhere else: if you open a bottle and feel it is bad, take the unused portion back to the store and it is refunded in the entirety without hassles.

I know that not all experiences are as mine are, and I am sure there are things that this monopoly is not as good at (I know many of the small Ontario wineries feel they do not get the same consideration as larger wineries).  But, from a consumers perspective - being someone who looks to try new wines, has shopped at various locations, has used the inter-branch ordering, has used the phone in Bordeaux ordering and taken advantage of the procuring process - I have always found the staff friendly, professional, knowledgeable and courteous.  I have never had a problem finding new wines, spirits or beers to try and have even had them look into getting wine from one of my favourite Napa wineries.

They have truly upped their game and I for one would be seriously disappointed to see this change with privatization.  I think it is important to know that privatization will not guarantee to solve the problems that people complain of with the LCBO: price, selection, availability, social problems etc.  There is also no guarantee that private retailers will be any more likely to open shelf space to small Ontario wineries.  And what I would like to see happen is consumers becoming more educated about these wineries and asking their local LCBO to bring in more of them to try.  This seems to me something that should be happening already, now that many large wineries are opening retail outlets inside grocery chain stores.  The LCBO should not feel the need to continue to provide a large amount of shelf space for those larger companies and thus provide a section for the discovery of small Ontario producers.

I love the LCBO and the service I get there and I am confident that they will find a way to help promote some of the smaller producers while continuing to be responsive to their customers.  What I worry about is certain politicians and entrepreneurs eyeing the potential revenue available by privatization and convincing consumers that private business is more responsive to consumers than government, the 407ETR should have taught us that is never the truth.