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A year ago, there were just over 300 outlets in Alberta while as of this week, the AGLC had issued permits for 536 while the province is home to about 1,500 liquor stores.
“We have no plans of slowing down in Alberta for the foreseeable future,” said Andy Palalas, chief revenue officer for High Tide, which is expanding its retail presence in the province.
“Store saturation can be a challenge in smaller centres, but for Alberta as a whole, we’re very optimistic.”
Both business and government revenues, he said, should pick up when Ottawa relaxes some restrictions, such as THC limits on edibles, which would make them more attractive to consumers.
The province should also eliminate restrictions on things like online transactions and home delivery, a practice commonly used by illicit operators, said Palalas.
But he said the increasing quality and diversity of legal products and gradually falling prices are already biting into the black market.
“Variety and…
