SAQ pauses micro store concept to conduct more consultations
Posted October 22, 2025 7:49 am.
Quebec’s liquor board (SAQ) is putting its plans to open around 100 micro stores in urban areas on hold while it conducts further consultations.
The SAQ says the concept of offering a selection of around 30 products in grocery stores and convenience stores in urban areas has not been abandoned. “The SAQ still intends to move forward with its project,” SAQ spokesperson Linda Bouchard said in an email.
The Crown corporation wants to give itself more time to consult with stakeholders, particularly on the public health aspects of its new concept.
“The SAQ is proceeding with this project in pilot mode with the goal of listening, learning, and adjusting as necessary to ensure the project’s success,” explained Bouchard.
No timeline has been set for the duration of this consultation.
The SAQ has added eight mini stores to its network since last spring. The Crown corporation says the results of these pilot projects are “conclusive.”
The idea behind the mini stores is to adapt to the consumption behaviors of young adults “who don’t want to make the effort to go to a branch” by offering a local service, CEO Jacques Farcy explained in an interview in March.
The SAQ store and office employees union, affiliated with the CSN, has denounced the concept, which it sees as a privatization of the SAQ’s activities.
Convenience stores and grocery stores are already allowed to sell certain alcoholic beverages, such as beer, cider, and certain wines. These establishments already have legal obligations, including verifying the age of customers.
However, union president Martin Lachance believes that a mini-agency in a grocery store or convenience store would not have the same rigor in ensuring responsible alcohol sales as a branch where employees are trained.
“We also find it a little absurd that strong alcohol and ready-to-drink beverages targeting young adults are sold in convenience stores throughout the city until 11 p.m.,” he said in an interview.
“This is extremely concerning to us, both for the health and safety of the population,” he added.
For the Quebec Food Retailers Association (ADA), its members are “an indispensable and complementary tool” to SAQ stores.
The association welcomed the idea, while the industry has concerns about how grocery stores and convenience stores will be selected.
“There is a risk of unfairness between retailers, with or without mini-agencies, in the same sector,” ADA CEO Pierre-Alexandre Blouin pointed out in an email. “Why not allow all food retailers to expand their offerings for the benefit of all consumers?”
For his part, Lachance also welcomed the consultation, but he is concerned that the SAQ is reiterating its intention to move forward.
“What we understand from the message is that the SAQ is going to try to sit on public health rules and say, ‘Look, we’re in agreement with public health. So we can proceed,’” said Lachance. “Of course, we find that worrying at the moment.”
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
