LCBO stores will start locking down liquor this fall

Ontario’s liquor agency will be introducing new locking mechanisms on expensive bottles of booze this fall in an attempt to cut down on theft.

The LCBO is “arming up with a new defense” called BottleLox after testing the locks in a small number of stores last year.

Much like electronic clothing tags, the locks are attached to the top of a bottle and can only be removed easily at the checkout. They will set off an alarm if smuggled out the door.

READ MORE: Man steals $26,000 bottle of scotch

The LCBO first started using the devices after liquor-producer Bacardi approached the agency in October 2015. At the time, bottles of Bacardi’s Grey Goose vodka were being stolen so often that some stores started keeping them out of sight in a secure location.

The company wanted to find a way to get them back on the floor and suggested the clear locks, which are already being used by numerous retailers in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Apparently, the strategy worked. At the end of an eight-week pilot period, the LCBO was so impressed with the drop in thefts that it ordered more of the BottleLox devices to place on 14 additional brands.

WATCH: LCBO starting home delivery of alcohol

2:18 LCBO starting home delivery of alcohol

Lou Recchi, District Manager for the LCBO’s stores in Toronto’s downtown core, called the results “phenomenal.”

On average, the LCBO loses millions to theft each year. Last year the tally was $16 million, which is admittedly only a tiny fraction of the agency’s nearly $5.6 billion in net sales.

This fall, the BottleLox program will expand again, with 125,000 locks rolled out to strategic locations across the province.

“Of course, there is the possibility that thieves will turn to products that aren’t locked, but many of the secured bottles are pricier and that forces shoplifters to seek less expensive options,” read the release issued this week by the liquor agency.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Of course, there is the possibility that thieves will turn to products that aren't locked, but many of the secured bottles are pricier and that forces shoplifters to seek less expensive options," read the release issued this week by the liquor agency.

There’s also the possibility that thieves will learn to remove the locks without damaging the bottles. Videos claiming to demonstrate how to defeat BottleLox have already cropped up on YouTube.