VANCOUVER – If you plan on spending the summer on a patio, with a craft beer in hand, it could cost you a little more than it has in the past.
When the Liberal Government announced changes to the pricing of alcohol in B.C., it stated wholesale prices would even out across the board so that all retailers would pay the same wholesale price.
But when it comes to craft beer, the prices are going up.
The NDP says the price of craft beer gets about eight to nine per cent markup for retailers, but provincial liquor stores must have a 17 per cent margin to break even.
So they are hiking wholesale prices for craft breweries, which the NDP says will make it harder for local producers and give the big names a leg up.
“I think the issue to remember as we look at this issue is that prices are going up, consumers are paying more, the producers are not getting anymore money,” said NDP leader John Horgan. “So somewhere between higher prices and flat costs for producers is the price point for the government.”
“It’s a tax grab, plain and simple and it’s going to be on the backs of consumers.”
The BC Liberals say this is just part of their ongoing analysis of prices in their stores. They add, in the past two months, craft beer sales are up 40 per cent – some of which had price promotions applied to them.
The latest price hikes took effect June 1.
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