SAQ ends POP tasting project after five months
Posted December 10, 2025 10:19 am.
Last Updated December 10, 2025 11:55 am.
The SAQ will shut down its POP tasting space on Mont-Royal Ave. this Sunday, ending the pilot project after five months.
Launched to help counter declining sales, the space let visitors sample up to five products for $10, refunded in Inspire points with an online purchase.
No alcohol was sold on-site.
Originally planned for six months, the project is ending early as the SAQ reviews the results to decide whether the concept should return elsewhere.
SAQ told CityNews in a statement:
“The duration of the project was therefore planned for this period. The pilot has been running since July 24, the lease ends in mid-January. The branch will close next Sunday to give us time to empty the premises and vacate them within the agreed timeframe. The SAQ POP pilot project aims to define the most appropriate context for enjoying a tasting, to provide the most suitable setting for discovery, and to offer a highly personalized experience to as many customers as possible. The next step will be to analyze the data and lessons learned over the past few months with SAQ POP in order to formulate recommendations that could inspire future initiatives within the network.”
The closure comes as the corporation faces two years of falling sales and recent store closures across Quebec.
The SAQ has been testing several new ideas, from mini-agencies in convenience stores to extended hours and potential app-based delivery, though public health officials have warned that increasing access to alcohol could heighten health risks.
Results from the POP experiment will be released in the coming months.
