Warehouse and distribution

Before liquor products are sold to licensees, they are stored in AGLC approved warehouses. Coolers, wine, spirits and imported beer are stored at, and shipped from, AGLC warehouses. Manufacturers in Alberta can also self-distribute from their manufacturing facility.

Alberta’s supply chain provides consistent delivery service of all products to retailers across the province. In 2007, AGLC conducted a review of the supply chain. The results of the review are in the 2007 Report: Liquor Warehousing and Distribution in Alberta –Supply Chain Analysis.

AGLC warehouse

Connect Logistics Services Inc. (CLS) warehouses and distributes spirits, wine, coolers and imported beer in Alberta under contract with AGLC. Currently CLS manages the main warehouse in St. Albert as well as additional storage spaces in Edmonton.

CLS receives and stores product from over 70 countries. They assemble and ship orders to licensees in more than 320 Alberta communities. AGLC works with CLS to ensure rapid and accurate order processing, and inventory management.

New liquor distribution centre

Since privatization, the liquor industry in Alberta has grown significantly, which in past years required AGLC to lease additional warehouse space to manage high product volume and order demands. In fall 2018, AGLC built a new state-of-the-art central warehouse to alleviate inventory pressures, reduce leasing costs and increase efficiencies.

The new warehouse has approximately 473,000 square feet of warehouse space and is designed so that this can be expanded up to 700,000 square feet, if required, in the future. Warehousing and distribution from the new warehouse began in early 2019.

You can find more information about the new distribution centre in this question and answer document.

Domestic beer warehouses

There are also three large domestic beer warehousers in Alberta:

• Brewers Distributor Ltd. warehouses and distributes beer products from primarily Molson and Labatt breweries. It has locations in Edmonton and Calgary;
• Big Rock Brewery manufactures and distributes beer from its plant/warehouse in Calgary and
• Sleeman Breweries Ltd. warehouses and distributes its products from Calgary.

 Warehouse operators must comply with AGLC’s Liquor Warehouse Handbook.