The Société des Alcools du Québec said Tuesday that it will proceed next Sunday with an average price increase of 1.66 per cent on 1,332 products available at all times on its shelves.
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Among these products, 50 will not be increased until Jan. 30, 2022, since they are currently on promotion.
The provincially owned company said inflation is to blame for the price jump.
Many of the SAQ’s suppliers are facing unprecedented challenges that impact their production costs, including the labour shortage and the rise in the price of materials related to the bottling and transportation of products, according to officials.
In addition, climate issues observed in several wine-growing regions put additional pressure on prices. In particular, successive freezes occurred in France and episodes of drought occurred in Spain and Italy, significantly reducing the supply of products.
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The SAQ said that the French wine-growing region, whose supply availability is strongly affected by bad weather, is associated with the most significant increases.
The SAQ added that the prices of specialty products, mainly offered in the Espace Cellier, are negotiated with the purchase of each lot and may therefore vary according to the availability of the offer.
Of these, 619 products will experience a 2.6 per cent price hike next Sunday.