The LCBO has started putting locked devices on their booze in a small pilot project — just in time for Christmas, when traffic and theft traditionally soar in the retail industry.

The government agency did not divulge the store locations of the program, saying it’s in the “very, very early” stages of testing, but the giant flagship on Queens Quay is one of them.

The clunky plastic locks are attached to the top of the more popular brands of vodka along with Bacardi rum in the Toronto store and can only be removed by staff at the check-out counter, similar to clothing security tags.

The locks won’t trip the security alarm at the exit in the event of theft, but the contraption makes it impossible to open up the alcohol in any event.

The LCBO says that like other retailers it “works hard to minimize and reduce product shortage rates resulting from theft.”

“It’s something we’re testing,” said LCBO spokesperson Christine Bujold.

At the Queens Quay and Cooper St. store near LCBO headquarters, the locks have been placed on almost all sizes and brands of vodka, from premium labels like Grey Goose to cheaper, bottom-shelf brands including Polar Ice and Alberta Pure.

At that location, one of the largest in Ontario, plastic contraptions first appeared last month on Grey Goose, but they were supplied by the high-end vodka maker to thwart thieves.

Soon after the LCBO followed suit. First they appeared on the largest size (the 1.75 litre plastic bottle) of Smirnoff, the top selling vodka in the world. As of Tuesday they were placed on all sizes of the popular white spirit and on the 1.75 litre bottles of Bacardi white rum. Smirnoff is the top selling vodka in the world.

“I’m certain that’s not random,” said Peter Horsley, chief operating officer of Loss Prevention Services Ltd.

“These are high-theft, highly desired items,” said the security expert of over 20 years.

Though the LCBO would not say how much the pilot project will cost, Horsley estimates such specialized locks to be a couple dollars each so “it wasn’t a decision that was taken lightly.”

Liquor theft poses a big challenge for the crown corporation, and one that’s not easily solved with just security cameras, noted marketing professor Ken Wong of the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.

“Anytime you have a small product with a high value – whether it’s cameras, watches or alcohol – that’s when you’re most vulnerable to shoplifters,” he said.

“And it’s that time of year. When you’re wearing a heavy coat I guess it’s easy to smuggle a bottle out,” Wong added.

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In 2013, a Burberry-clad thief made off with a rare bottle of 50-year-old Glenfiddich scotch worth $26,000 from the Queens Quay location. Theft has become so common at a Thunder Bay LCBO that staff have stopped notifying police, according to tbnewswatch.com.

Horsley suspects pricey wine, whiskey and champagne drinkers probably won’t see the device any time soon since those are usually sold in more open areas where robbers are less likely to roam.

“The people who are regularly stealing liquor probably aren’t into candlelit dinners,” he joked.

LCBO’s Bujold noted that the alcohol behemoth’s product shortages continue to be lower than other retailers of similar size.

“To ensure our continued strong performance, LCBO continues to test and implement processes and practices throughout the organization to improve and reduce shrinkage,” she said.