Dear valued Trade Partners,
In response to the growing needs of both Ready To Drink (RTD) as well as our Pre-mixed Spirit products, we have decided to align the management of both categories under the existing RTD buying team. This alignment will allow us to more effectively manage the assortment while continuing to offer Ontario consumers products which are on trend and in demand. It will also allow us to combine our in-store display strategies making the assortment easier to find and shop for consumers. For the immediate future, products participating in these programs will continue to be planogramed in their existing home locations, but we are working towards aligning the assortment in stores this year.
Effective immediately, there will be 1 product call to manage this growing opportunity. The trade is encouraged to review the product call details posted in the Merchandising Needs Grid for 2024-25 (https://www.doingbusinesswithlcbo.com/content/dbwl/en/basepage/home/new-supplier-agent/ProductNeedsLetters.html). The new product call can be found under Call ID 3812 (“Premixed RTS Cocktails and Shots”).
If you are interested in submitting a product for consideration, please see the above noted product call details. If you are an existing supplier with a product currently in LCBO stores (or planned to launch), we will reach out to you directly to communicate any future change to your products display or status once those decisions have been made.
Any additional questions may be directed to Lesley Morgan, Senior Category Manager for Ready-To-Drink.