The SAQ lags behind the competition in terms of delivery, which doesn’t stop multinational companies from getting a good deal. As we learned this week, Uber Eats wants to become the state-owned company’s designated delivery driver.
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The Silicon Valley giant wants to “explore the possibility of collaborating on the supply of SAQ products to homes,” according to the register of Quebec lobbyists.
Uber has registered Jonathan Hamel, its public affairs manager in Quebec, as a lobbyist for the mission.
Mr Hamel was director of parliamentary work in Prime Minister Philippe Couillard’s office from 2015 to 2018.
The multinational is giving itself a year to convince Quebec, as the period of these lobbying activities extends from October 6, 2023 to October 1, 2024.
Jonathan Hamel declined to answer the Journal’s call Tuesday.
“Since 2020, Uber Eats has supported restaurants in Quebec that want to deliver alcohol to their customers when they order a meal,” he told us in a brief written statement.
For this reason, adds the former employee of Philippe Couillard, Uber “met the SAQ to share our experience with them and explore the possibility of collaborating with them”.
The delay of the SAQ
SAQ deliveries are currently entrusted to Purolator, a Mississauga, Ontario-based company owned by Canada Post.
The state-owned company promises deliveries between 3 and 5 working days and only offers 10% of its products online, i.e. 4,295 products out of more than 40,000.
SAQ.com accounts for only 3% of SAQ’s total sales to consumers. In 2022 they reached $93.3 million.
The state-owned company, which promises to put its new warehouse into operation in 2027, refuses to say whether it plans to entrust the delivery to another company by then.
“The SAQ is always evaluating the various options available to it to adequately serve its customers. There is currently no collaboration with third parties regarding the home delivery of our products,” the spokesperson states.
The Ontario example
Nothing stops Uber. In Ontario, Uber Eats has also been delivering alcohol to the LCBO since January last year as part of a pilot project.
Many restaurateurs and bar owners complained about unfair competition at the time of the announcement. While they require a license to sell alcohol, Uber doesn’t, they say.
This is the second time the LCBO has partnered with a delivery service app. In 2020, a partnership with SkipTheDishes was announced.
However, the project died in the bud when the LCBO canceled it a few days later due to criticism from restaurateurs and Toronto Mayor John Tory.
The local option already exists
In Quebec, the SQDC, which reports to the SAQ, already offers deliveries in 90 minutes or less thanks to the services of Eva, which can be described as a local Uber.
The young company won the cannabis delivery tender in 2022 against Purolator… and Uber.
It offers delivery throughout Quebec, be it in Sherbrooke, Granby, Mauricie or a small village in Saguenay.
Eva doesn’t sell cannabis like Uber Eats would sell alcohol. It just delivers it, and the customers remain the customers of the SQDC.
“We would like to emphasize our continued interest in any opportunity to improve delivery services for various partners across the province,” says Dardan Isufi, CEO of Eva.