Costco

[chowhound]

In planning for an upcoming visit with a friend who is a Costco member in the US, he suggested that we stock up on supplies at the Montreal Costco. I found the location on the website, but have a couple of questions for any persons familiar with the store. Does the Montreal Costco sell beer and wine?? If so, are the prices worth the trip or should we simply go to a downtown market for our beer & wine? Any other suggestions or information is also welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

[bond_james_bond]

Alcohol sales in Quebec are controlled by the SAQ.

I think that for best results, you would need to go to an SAQ store.

http://www.saq.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/GeneralContentView?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&page=%2fnh%2fHome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9_des_alcools_du_Qu%C3%A9bec

 

[chowhound]

I am an experienced visitor. I know that beer and wine are commonly sold in the markets and Depanneurs in Montreal. I know that alcohol is controlled, but in my experience the SAQ's are not the best place to buy beer. I also know that liquor is only sold in the SAQ stores, and that SAQ's usually have good wine selection. (I also know that there are different types of SAQ stores with some having bigger selections than others) However, I am more interested in the beer, and will probably need about two cases for the visit, and wondered if it would be worth the trip to Costco. As far as the wine, I am not looking for anything too special, just some decent red wine for guests. In the past, I have been happy with the basic selection available in the local markets.

 

[bond_james_bond]

Have you tried calling them?

http://www.costco.com/Warehouse/LocationTemplate.aspx?Warehouse=515

 

[chowhound]

I just wanted to know if it is worth the trip to Costco from Downtown Montreal to buy two or three cases of beer and two or three bottles of wine primarily to consume during the visit. Are the prices any better than if I were to just go to the downtown IGA or Metro stores? I'm not looking to import, other than any which might incidentally be left over. I also am not worried about having the best selection, as I am generally satisfied with the basic selections available at the downtown markets. I just want some basic beers, even just basic Molson products will do. Obviously, for purposes of these questions assume that I am a cheapskate. Otherwise, I would be ordering from room service.

 

[chowhound]

Thank you Mononcle for the useful reply to my question. As I recall my last visit, a 12 pack of beer at IGA or Metro was almost $20, I think it appears that it may very well be worth the trip to Costco for me. As far as the wine, I'll see what they have, as I'm not that picky.

 

[metoo4]

Chowhound, price of beer will vary from store to store. There's only a minimum price that's set. Max price is wide-open, as much as the market will accept. Some "dépanneurs" will beat large grocery store on price, only because of volume. Here in Québec, peoples are used to buy beer at dépanneurs so, some dépanneurs have a bigger volume than even Costco!

Sad but true: look for dépanneurs in poor area, that's usually the best price for beer.

 

[chowhound]

Thanks metoo. I had noticed that the beer at the IGA in the Complex Dejardins was more expensive than the Metro store on St. Catherine east of Berri. I guess it is to be expected that they will have more tourists in the downtown area not able to spend time shopping for bargains. I don't really remember if they had beer by the case at either store. I normally am not in need of that quantity. As Costco is a club which is supposed to provide discounts for its members, I thought maybe it would be more competitive. I think my friend can also receive rebates based upon the amount he spends at Costco, although I would expect that alcohol may be excluded. We will pick up some other items too, but the beer would be the main reason to drive there. But if you have an address of a store with the best bargains, by all means post it, so I, and others, can benefit from the information.