Alberta liquor wholesale glossary

Offers and pricing

LTO (Limited Time Offer)

A temporary reduction in a product's wholesale price, offered by the supplier or agency that owns the product, for a defined period and a finite quantity. See what an LTO is.

Price change

A permanent change to a product's price, as distinct from an LTO. A scheduled increase is a reason to buy ahead; a decrease lowers the cost base going forward.

Effective date

The date an LTO or a price change takes effect. LTO ordering opens on this date on a first-come, first-served basis.

Wholesale price

What a licensed buyer pays. It is built from the supplier's invoice price plus provincial markup, container deposit, recycling fees, and federal duties and taxes. All licensees pay the same wholesale price for a given product. See who sets LTO pricing.

Markup

The provincial rate applied to liquor, set by the Alberta government and collected by AGLC. Rates are published by AGLC and change from time to time.

Case price / unit price

The cost of a full case versus the cost of a single bottle or can. Catalogue offers are commonly expressed per case, since warehouse ordering is done in cases.

Organizations

AGLC

Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis. The provincial regulator. It licenses liquor businesses, applies the provincial markup, and contracts out warehousing and distribution.

Connect Logistics Services (CLS)

The company that warehouses and distributes spirits, wine, coolers, and imported beer in Alberta under contract with AGLC. It does not buy or take possession of product; suppliers and agencies own their product until it is sold.

LiquorConnect

The product catalogue and information service associated with Alberta liquor distribution, used across the industry to look up products and their status.

Supplier / agency (agent)

The party that owns a product in the Alberta system and decides whether to stock it, whether to promote it, and how to allocate it.

Ordering

Licensee

A business licensed by AGLC to buy liquor at wholesale, including private retail stores and licensed hospitality businesses.

Allocation

A supplier or agency directing specific product to specified licensees, within the parameters of the AGLC Allocation Policy. An offer that is listed is not necessarily available to every account.

First come, first served

The basis on which LTO product is ordered from the effective date. Orders are filled until the quantity runs out or the LTO period ends, whichever happens first. See how ordering and allocation works.

SKU

The identifying number for a specific product and package size in the catalogue. The same brand in two sizes is two SKUs, each with its own price and offer status.

Minimum order

The smallest warehouse order Connect Logistics will accept, expressed in cases. Confirm the current threshold directly, as it is published per year alongside rates.