Below please find some important updates on our business processes relating to product promotions and purchasing. We appreciate your partnership and understanding as we work to quickly adapt during these uncertain times. To avoid sending multiple future update letters with new key dates, we will be posting updates to product calls and promotional timelines on www.doingbusinesswithLCBO.com weekly starting next Monday.
Promotions:
Period 1/2 in-store promotions
Period 1 and Period 2 promotions will proceed as planned, with the exception of rep-applied value-adds and necktag/contest promotions that are applied directly to the product. Near Pack Value-Add promotions will be permitted to proceed as trade representatives or third-party delivery services will be allowed to direct deliver to stores (except on Mondays as of March 30th). Period 1 inventory and signage packages have been shipped to stores as planned and retail communication regarding promotional changes is continuing.
Period 1/2 e-Commerce promotions
In order to allow the e-Commerce fulfillment team to focus on immediate business needs, the following promotions will be cancelled or postponed:
· Wine Wednesdays following this week’s planned offer will be cancelled until further notice
· Contests for P1and P2 will be cancelled. Billing for these promotions will be adjusted accordingly
· Special new product launches (including Whisky Shop online exclusive offers) will be postponed until further notice. Other new product launches will continue to go live on the site.
· Victoria Day Monday, May 18th 1-day sale will be cancelled. MPTS approvals will be adjusted accordingly
Period 9/10 upcoming MPTS Application Deadline
Period 9/10 MPTS applications originally due for submission by April 12th will be postponed until further notice. Please note agents/suppliers will still be able to submit MPTS applications until a new date is communicated.
In-store Tastings
We have decided to proactively cancel all in-store tasting events in P2. Please continue to book as normal for future periods. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed of any other future changes.
Vintages Events
Vintages events scheduled for May and June will be rescheduled or cancelled.
New Products
As of last Thursday we have paused all new product submission tastings. When possible, we will communicate a revised process and dates. Other deadlines for NISS submissions may also be altered. In the meantime, please hold any submission samples and do not deliver to the 43 Freeland St. office. Please continue to submit applications by the appropriate deadline. We will follow up with new sample drop off and tasting deadlines.
Photography Samples
New products and Vintages release SKUs will continue to be photographed. Some modifications including requesting supplier photos or omitting images from the release catalogue may need to be actioned.
Vintages
We will continue the Vintages bi-weekly product releases including the printed catalogue. To minimize messaging to our customers, we will only send one Vintages Latest e-mail per week on Thursdays which will include the Special Offers, Classics and will drive awareness for the weekend release. The Saturday release e-mail will be paused. Release products will still be available for sale on lcbo.com at 9 a.m. on their planned release day. Products purchased for cancelled Vintages events will be released as special offers on vintageshoponline.com.
We understand that products may be delayed in shipping and miss some critical deadlines for their intended release date. Delayed products will be allocated with the next possible release.
Vintages release products will continue to be priced according to our current process where we aim to maintain the NISS applications estimated retail.
Similar to other times of contingency planning, a communication will be issued if we need to make adjustments to the current sell-through target process.
New Product Spring Launches
Any new items that have been received and passed lab analysis will continue to be released as planned. Please refrain from visiting the stores to discuss listings at this time. Category teams will share product information with the stores.
Pricing
To minimize price adjustment communications to our retail stores and wholesale customers, non-urgent price change exception requests will not be approved. We ask all suppliers and agents to observe our standard price change processes and timelines. If you have questions regarding upcoming price change timelines/processes, please contact pricing@lcbo.com and address to: Attention – Kyle Baker.
Direct Delivery
In response to COVID-19, the LCBO remains open but is implementing additional measures for the health and well-being of employees and customers. Effective Monday, March 30, all LCBO retail locations will be closed on Mondays. This means that deliveries will not be accepted on any Mondays until further notice. Please make arrangements with retail location that you service regularly on Mondays to determine an alternative date. We will also experience additional store closures due to resource constraints. We are looking at solutions to best communicate these to our trade partners. Please visit www.doingbusinesswithLCBO.com. for regular updates moving forward.
Thank you for your continued cooperation. Please reach-out to your category representative if you have additional questions or concerns.