All data effective August 2010, unless otherwise stated.

The LCBO is a provincial government enterprise employing some 7,000 people, including part-time workers, with more than 600 stores across Ontario supplied by five regional distribution centres.

More than 18,000 products are available to Ontario consumers through stores, special order programs and catalogues.

VINTAGES is LCBO’s premium wines and spirits business unit. VINTAGES products are available through the LCBO’s store network, including six specialized VINTAGES stores, 62 boutiques, 145 corners and 101 sections in LCBO stores. VINTAGES releases more than 125 products every two weeks to the LCBO retail network. A wide assortment of products from some of the world’s best producers is also available through vintagesshoponline.com, Bordeaux Futures, direct offers and the Classics Collection. Each year, VINTAGES hosts more than 20 events for collectors and oenophiles. Full program and event information are available at www.vintages.com. In total, VINTAGES released 6,200 products in 2009-10.

Customers can also obtain many other products not regularly listed in Ontario through the LCBO Private Ordering program.

In partnership with the LCBO, established retailers operate some 216 agency stores in communities without large enough population bases to support regular LCBO stores.

In the interests of consumer protection, LCBO Quality Assurance conducts more than 488,000 tests annually on more than 21,000 different products. This testing helps ensure all products sold by the LCBO comply with the federal Food and Drugs Act and Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and their related regulations as well as the LCBO’s high standards for quality and taste.

Since 1990, the LCBO has received more than 200 awards for customer service, staff training and development, store design, marketing, innovative retailing, corporate communications and social responsibility.

These include 12 Retail Council of Canada Excellence in Retailing Awards, including Innovative Retailer of the Year, Socially Responsible Retailer of the Year and the Retail Technology Award.

A 2010 Corporate Reputation Study conducted by Leger Marketing, an independent survey company, placed the LCBO 18 out of the top 100 companies in Ontario.

Members of LCBO’s Senior Team have also been commended for outstanding contributions in their respective fields. Bob Downey, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, earned the Industry Partnership Award by Drinks Ontario, the association representing imported wine, spirits and beer agents in 2010. In the previous year – 2009 – he was named RBC Business Citizen of the Year by the Niagara Wine Festival. In 2007, Nancy Cardinal, Vice President, LCBO Marketing and Customer Insights, earned the Top Integrated Marketer Award from Strategy Magazine. Hugh Kelly, LCBO Senior Vice President, LCBO Information Technology, was named Chief Information Officer of the Year through the Canadian Information Productivity Awards. Also in 2007, Andy Brandt, former LCBO Chair and CEO, was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Legends.

Recent awards include:

• TV spots created for an Ontario Wine “GoLocal” promotion earned LCBO’s Broadcast Production Team a bronze Telly Award in 2010. The international award was in the “Regional TV Commercials – Alcoholic Beverages/Beer” category. The Telly Awards honour the very best local, regional and cable television commercials and programs as well as the finest video and film productions.

• The 2009 Red Wine 101 promotion, created to help demystify red wine buying for LCBO customers, received gold and silver awards from the Canadian Marketing Association.

• LCBO Store Design and Real Estate won a Silver Maple Leaf award from the International Council of Shopping Centres for its 1838 Avenue Rd. store in Toronto. The 2009 award was in the Retail Store Design category for store areas in excess of 10,001 square feet.

• LCBO’s Prom Tips campaign poster, created to remind high school graduates that alcohol doesn’t belong at their celebrations, was a winner in the Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario Design@Work Competition in 2008.

• The 2008 Wine 101 promotion, created to help demystify wine buying for LCBO customers, was honoured by the Canadian Marketing Association with a bronze award in the Retailing category.

• LCBO was named “Integrated Marketer of the Year” by Strategy Magazine in 2008.

The LCBO’s mission statement is: We are a socially responsible, performance-driven, innovative and profitable retailer, engaging our customers in a discovery experience of the world of beverage alcohol. The LCBO’s brand vision is Discover the World – to take customers on a journey of learning and discovery, demystifying the products we sell so that informed choices can be made more easily.

Sales in fiscal 2009-10 were $4.3 billion and the LCBO delivered a $1.41 billion dividend to the Ontario government. This did not include $405 million in PST, $104 million in GST and $346 million in excise taxes and import duties. When payments to municipalities were included, the total was $2.3 billion. (All unaudited figures as of August 2010.) The dividend helps pay for health care, education, social programs, infrastructure and other important government services.

LCBO retail employees are vigilant about preventing sales to minors and people who are intoxicated. Last year, LCBO staff challenged more than 2.6 million individuals, an increase of 9.8 per cent from 2008-09, for failing to produce valid ID, appearing intoxicated or attempting to purchase for a minor or an impaired individual. Service was refused to 155,000 people, with 82 per cent for reasons of age.