ABLE BC Member Benefits Handbook. Your guide to our exclusive Member Benefit Programs, preferred pricings, and discounted rates

Transcription

1 ABLE BC Member Benefits Handbook Your guide to our exclusive Member Benefit Programs, preferred pricings, and discounted rates

2 The voice of BC s Private Liquor Industry $1.6 BILLION alcohol sales in BC +56% OF TOTAL alcohol sales in BC 100k PEOPLE employed each year Who we are The Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE BC) is the advocacy organization representing British Columbia s private liquor industry. We are the largest and most effective liquor industry association in BC, with membership including private liquor retailers, pubs, bars, nightclubs, hotel liquor licensees, as well as various agents, suppliers, and benefit providers. Our strategy On behalf of our 1,000 members, we advocate for a stable and thriving private industry. We consult regularly with our members to ensure they have a voice with government decision-makers, and report on current issues through our biweekly Industry Update e-newsletter, monthly member meetings, and regular member surveys. We have four organizational objectives: 1. Develop deep, long-lasting partnerships with government and elected officials 2. Serve as a positive, proactive advocate to protect and expand business opportunities for the private liquor industry 3. Negotiate industry-leading benefit programs that save our members time and money 4. Act as a primary resource for information about liquor industry regulations and policies To deliver on our objectives, ABLE BC is governed by an elected Board of ten regionally-based Directors and employs a full-time Executive Director and staff at our downtown Vancouver office.

3 Benefits of being a member ABLE BC s primary goal is to help build a thriving and sustainable private liquor industry in BC by advocating for your interests and proactively solving industry challenges. To that end we: Ensure you have a voice with government officials and policy makers Consult our members regularly to find out what matters most to your business Help members resolve issues with our monopoly wholesale supplier (the LDB) Keep you informed and up-to-date on government policies and regulations Fight to reduce red tape and ensure regulations and policies are business-friendly Saving you time and money We know you re busy, so all members get access to a host of benefit programs tailored specifically to your needs and designed to save your business time and money. For your convenience, our Member Benefits Handbook summarizes the exclusive benefit programs, preferred pricings, and discounted rates we offer our members. Read on to find out how you can take advantage of these savings today. For more information please contact: Danielle Leroux (Manager of Membership & Communications) at ( ) or danielle@ablebc.ca. Hon. Coralee Oakes (Minister of Small Business & Red Tape Reduction, LDB) with ABLE BC Executive Director Jeff Guignard and Associate Member Richard Carras (Executive VP, Authentic Wine & Spirits Merchants) at a recent ABLE BC industry reception in Vancouver.

4 Western Financial Group Hospitality Insurance Program Western Financial Group in partnership with ABLE BC has designed the Hospitality Insurance Program (HIP) exclusively for ABLE BC Members. HIP is a specialized group insurance program that offers our Members immediate premium savings and long-term rate stability. WFG will work with you to determine the right level of coverage to meet your particular needs and ensure you receive consistent and ongoing sales and service support. Available insurance coverage includes: property insurance, general liability insurance, host liquor liability insurance, business interruption, cyber liability, legal expenses, and crime. Immediate Savings: guaranteed rate reduction off current policy premium (if not yet a HIP participant) Long-Term Rate Stability: your future premiums are based upon Program claims, not on insurance market swings Group Buying Power: HIP participants have the benefit of strength in numbers with access to reduced ABLE BC group rates Ownership of Premiums: HIP provides an opportunity for returns of premium paid directly to participating members during low claiming years. Complete Insurance Protection: the insurer pays all claims over the annual deductible fund. No deficit or retroactive assessment can occur in this program. To sign-up for the Hospitality Insurance Program please contact: Thom Proch (Manager, Commercial Sales) at ext or thom.proch@westernfgis.ca. Johnstone s Employee Benefits Since 1985, ABLE BC has sponsored a comprehensive group benefit program with Johnstone s Benefits that is available to members with as a few as three employees. By leveraging the purchasing power of ABLE BC, we have negotiated significant improvements in cost and flexibility as well as terms and conditions not offered to individual firms. Johnstone s offers a range of customizable group insurance benefits including: life insurance, income protection, travel insurance, and health and dental coverage. Group Buying Power: ABLE BC members have the benefit of strength in numbers with access to long-term savings and increased flexibility as well as terms and conditions not offered to individual firms One Seamless Package: As an independent broker, Johnstone s sources products from a variety of insurance carriers and combines them into one seamless package. Simple and Easy: Johnstone s designs a plan specific to you and your employees. They manage and administer the plan for you, dealing with the carriers on your behalf. Employee Retention: A well-designed employee benefit plan helps you attract and retain quality staff and allows you to create competitive compensation packages. To sign-up for Johnstone s Group Benefit Program please contact: Michelle McFegan at or ABLE.insurance@jbenefits.com. 4 ABLE BC MEMBER BENEFITS HANDBOOK

5 Desjardins Payment Processing As one of the leading providers of payment solutions in Canada, Desjardins offers the only transparent pricing on the market, helping merchants to budget costs more easily when accepting credit and debit card payments. No surcharges are added to basic rates, regardless of the type of card used. Through our partnership, ABLE BC members can enjoy the preferential rates offered by Desjardins for processing credit and debit card payments. Preferential rates: ABLE BC members can access preferential rates specific to their business. Contact Desjardins to establish your unique pricing structure. Your discount rate is your effective rate: merchants get a fixed discount rate. There is no surcharge, regardless of transaction type. No additional fees: There are no monthly, quarterly, or annual fees to bloat your bill. Merchants receive a simple monthly billing statement. Guaranteed Rates: Desjardins guarantees rates regardless of interchange rate variations in the Visa and MasterCard networks, allowing merchants to budget costs more easily. Rates are readjusted only once a year - while competing processors offer no guarantee on their rates and usually modify them twice a year. To sign-up for Desjardins Payment Processing, please contact John Li (Advisor, Commercial Business Development) at or john.li@scd.desjardins.com. Brewers Distributors Limited (BDL) Beer Bottle Return Program As the accredited steward for beer containers BC, Brewers Distributors Limited (BDL) in partnership with ABLE BC has created the Beer Bottle Return Program to ensure that our private liquor store members get properly compensated for what you are already doing - accepting empty beer container returns from customers and refunding the full deposit. By signing onto the Return Program, you agree to accept up to 10 dozen beer containers that customers can return to your location at a single time. By doing so, your business benefits in even more ways. Increase Revenue: receive a full refund on beer bottles and cans plus handling fee. ABLE BC Members make an average of $2700 in handling fees revenue every year. Attract and Retain Customers: a 2013 Ispos Reid survey found that effectively all consumers returning empty beer containers at retail locations made a purchase during that same trip. Almost 60% of consumers said they would choose to shop at a retail store that accepts a larger quantity of returns over a retail store that only accepts the legal limit of 24 per day. Promote your business as a leader in BC s green movement: all stores on the program are listed as return locations at and on other recycling resources. To sign-up for the BDL Beer Bottle Return Program, please contact Danielle Leroux (Manager of Membership & Communications, ABLE BC) at or danielle@ablebc.ca. ABLE BC MEMBER BENEFITS HANDBOOK 5

6 buyable: Competitive advantage through collective buying power ABLE BC is pleased to introduce our new online purchasing portal buyable. Buyers can use buyable to get instant access to exclusive products, save time on the buying cycle, and increase their profit margins. Access exclusive offers, unique products, better pricing: an offer placed on buyable is channel exclusive and not made available to government liquor stores. New products are added regularly. Save time on the buying cycle: buyable is an easy-to-use online marketplace that instantly connects buyers and agents. Browse offers by product type, calculate profitability, and buy with the click of a button. Increase profit margins: buyable is designed to protect and increase your profit margins. Our goal is for you to make at least 30% on each product at suggested retail prices. Activate your buyable account: ABLE BC Members with an LRS license and/or LP license with onpremise sales will receive an asking to activate your account. Login at and start to exercise your buying power. For more information please contact Danielle Leroux (Manager of Membership & Communications, ABLE BC) at or danielle@ablebc.ca. VI Banking ATM Secured Solutions ABLE BC in partnership with VI Banking ATM have negotiated one of the best ATM agreements in the ATM industry exclusively for our members. VI Banking is a true local company with over 13 years experience in the ATM industry. Our Members Only ATM agreement is designed to be low-risk and high-profit. No Risk: all ATM agreements are day to day - meaning there is no fixed term commitment. So you are never stuck in a long-term agreement with auto-rollovers or right of first refusals. Earn an extra $1000 monthly: ABLE BC Members keep 100% of the ATM surcharge and you determine the surcharge amount. No cancellation fees or charges: VI Banking only requires 48 hours notice and your ATM machine will be removed. There are no install fees or removal fees, for any reason, anytime. Complimentary Maintenance and Upgrades: there are no fees for any maintenance or upgrades (except vandalism). Service is completed within 5 hours for Lower Mainland and Southern Vancouver Island customers, and within 24 hours for other customers in BC. No additional fees: VI Banking provides merchants with ATM paper free of charge. There are also no deposit or processing fees. To sign up for our ABLE BC-Members Only VI Banking Agreement, please contact Jeff Stewart (President) at or jeffstewart@vibanking.ca. 6 ABLE BC MEMBER BENEFITS HANDBOOK

7 Liquor Price Guide In September 2015, ABLE BC was pleased to launch our new Liquor Guide. We have worked with our Associate Member Barnet Group to develop this online pricing guide and offer it exclusively to ABLE BC Members free of charge. The Liquor Guide contains a full list of Government Liquor Stores (BCLS) retail pricing in an easy-to-use format designed specifically for liquor industry professionals in BC. The guide will be updated monthly to reflect LDB price changes. Monthly reports allow you to search and sort prices by product category, country of origin, and several other in-depth categories. Use the Liquor Guide to review monthly LDB price changes, compare current retail pricing to wholesale pricing, and track wholesale markup and retail margin. Members-Only Free Access: ABLE BC members get access to the Liquor Guide free of charge Get the price data you need, when you need it: the guide is updated monthly to reflect LDB price changes. It contains a full list of BCLS retail pricing in an easy-to-use format geared specifically for liquor industry professionals in BC. Stay Competitive: use the guide to compare current retail pricing to wholesale pricing, track wholesale markup and retail margin, and see monthly price changes on each and every product. To get free access to the Liquor Guide please contact Danielle Leroux (Manager of Membership & Communications, ABLE BC) at or danielle@ablebc.ca. Sting Investigations Group Compliance Program Sting Investigations specializes in hotel & bar investigations, video surveillance, alcohol compliance checks, mystery shopping, fingerprinting, and consulting services. ABLE BC in partnership with Sting Investigations have created our Group Compliance Testing Initiative. Whether you run an LRS or an LP, all of your employees must have a good understanding of their role and responsibilities from both a customer service and legal standpoint to ensure the overall success of your business. A poor customer experience, serving of an intoxicated patron, excessive use of force claim, or theft of cash or liquor assets can have a devastating impact on your business s bottom line. By performing an alcohol compliance check at your establishment, Sting Investigations can help you improve your business from an investigative point of view, ensure your employees are following the Liquor Control and Licensing Rules, and enhance your customer service. Exclusive Member Deal: Offered seasonally, ABLE BC members can purchase one Alcohol Compliance Check and get a second check free. New Customer Discount: First-time customers receive a 10% discount exclusive to ABLE BC members. To take advantage of the Sting Investigations Group Compliance Program sign-up for your free consultation today online or contact Danielle Leroux (Manager of Membership & Communications, ABLE BC) at or danielle@ablebc.ca. ABLE BC MEMBER BENEFITS HANDBOOK 7

8 2 Pieces of ID Required: Signage, Pins, and Drivers License Guides In , LCLB identified the top contraventions among liquor licensees. Selling liquor to a minor was the top contravention. Avoid a $7500 fine at your establishment. Ensure your staff is checking for 2 pieces of ID when verifying a customer s age. ABLE BC is here to help you with due diligence: purchase our 2 Pieces of ID Required signage and I ask for 2 pieces of ID buttons available exclusively to ABLE BC Members. Additional complimentary signage is available for download at On an annual basis, members can order North American and International ID Checking Guide Books through the ABLE BC office. The guide books help you and your staff make accurate, on-the-spot verification of driver s licenses and ID cards your best protection against ID fraud. Ensure your staff are complying with liquor regulations and avoid a $7500 fine at your establishment: purchase our 2 Pieces of ID Required Signage ($5.00 each) and Pins ($0.50 each), and order your ID Checking Guide Books. Discounted Prices: ABLE BC members get exclusive access to our group-buying discount. Save over 35% when you order ID Checking Guide Books. To purchase your 2 Pieces of ID Required Signage and Pins and order your ID Checking Guide Books, please contact Danielle Leroux (Manager of Membership & Communications, ABLE BC) at or danielle@ablebc.ca. Exclusive Discounts from our Preferred Industry Suppliers ABLE BC has over 65 Associate Members preferred industry suppliers who support the advocacy work we do. They are trusted leaders in our industry and know exactly how to cater to your specific business needs. As an ABLE BC Member, you get exclusive access to our Associate Members special pricing and discounts. Find more details below, throughout our Annual Buyers Guide, or by contacting suppliers directly. AllWorld Packaging: discounted T-shirt and Litre sleeve bags BWI Business World Inc.: 5% discount Company Capital: save 10% off the total cost of a loan or a line of credit EMC Publications: 10% discount on advertising in The Publican ESSO Business Card Program: save 2.3 cents per litre off retail-posted pump price for gas or diesel MediaEdge: 10% discount on digital advertising in Industry Update and website Mills Office Productivity: access discounted products at this one-stop shop for everything you need Nespresso Coffee: 15% discount on exclusive package Rising Tide Consultants: 10% discount on all liquor licensing consulting RONA: 5-25% discount on various hospitality products Signarama Richmond: 10% off or double AIR MILES Spendit.com: save $120 (50%) on a Spendit.com searchable mobile directory listing Time Access Systems: 10% discount on select products Tinhorn Creek Vineyards: 10% off tasting room wine & merchandise 8 ABLE BC MEMBER BENEFITS HANDBOOK

9 Other Exclusive Member Benefits ABLE BC strives to provide our members with the resources and tools they need to operate and grow successful businesses. In addition to our benefit programs, preferred pricings, and discounted rates, we provide you with: Advocacy Work: on behalf of our 1,000 members, we serve as a positive, proactive advocate to protect and expand business opportunities for the private liquor industry. We consult regularly with our members to ensure they have a voice with government officials and policy makers. Read more about the solutions we are proposing to current industry challenges in our Policy Priorities (available at Due diligence and signage for your business: available for download on our Members-Only Website Downloadable Industry Factsheets: designed to help you understand policy changes and challenges facing our industry; and provide you with key messages to discuss with MLAs and other elected officials, your customers, and the public at large. Industry expertise specific to your business: ABLE BC is your primary resource for information about liquor industry regulations and policies. Contact our office with any questions you may have. Biweekly Industry Update: e-newsletters to keep you informed on liquor policy changes and important industry issues and events. Regular Industry Events: Invitations to participate in regional member meetings, networking events, and business workshops & seminars (upcoming member meeting dates are summarized below). For more information, please contact Danielle Leroux (Manager of Membership & Communications, ABLE BC) at or danielle@ablebc.ca. Schedule of Member Meetings and Events ABLE BC meets regularly with members to discuss recent and pending changes to liquor policies, and to exchange ideas about how we can work together to affect positive change in our industry. Our meetings are open to all liquor licensees and industry members. SUMMIT 2016: ABLE BC and the BC Hotel Association invite you to attend SUMMIT 2016, a two-day conference and marketplace for hospitality industry professionals. This premier event takes place at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort & Conference Centre in Kelowna on May 9 and 10. SUMMIT 2016 will be the first event of its kind in BC where we will bring together a concentration of hotel and private liquor industry professionals for 2 days of focused workshops, educational seminars, and networking events. Full program and registration details: BC Liquor Conference: In Fall 2016 ABLE BC will host the inaugural BC Liquor Conference. Stay tuned for more details on the conference or visit our website for regularly updated event listings at Member Meetings: Join us at a member meeting in your community. Stay tuned for more details on member meeting dates and locations or visit our website for regularly updated event listings at For more information, please contact Danielle Leroux (Manager of Membership & Communications, ABLE BC) at or danielle@ablebc.ca. ABLE BC MEMBER BENEFITS HANDBOOK 9

10 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1N9 T F TOLL FREE info@ablebc.ca