Alberta's growing labour shortage and a high demand for alcohol could spell frustration for customers and retailers during the holiday season.

Liquor stores and restaurants are having a difficult time stocking their shelves because of slow distribution channels. Some stores have said that deliveries used to be made within a matter of days, but now it takes nearly two weeks.

Connect Logistics holds a contract with the province to distribute wine and liquor. The company said it's having a difficult time finding workers, and also noted that Albertans are drinking more than ever.

"This year, we are looking at about a 13 per cent increase in volumes over last year," said George Rodziewicz, a spokesman for Connect Logistics.

Retailers say deliveries, which sometimes arrive with only half an order, are spotty. Darcy Sandu, president of CSN Wine and Spirits, said he never knows when his orders will be delivered.

"This is the season for a retailer in December. It is a very, very serious issue," he said. "How [will we] survive if we don't have a product on the shelf, how are we going to make money, how are we going to sell?"

Similarly, the Opimian Society, a wine ordering co-operative, said it's experiencing delays of up to two months.

"Members of the society, of which there are about 1,600 in the Calgary region, would order wines and expect to see them delivered within about five to six months of ordering in the normal shipping time," he said. "We're looking now, because of the delays experienced by Connect [Logistics] and the demands and pressures they're under, about seven to eight months."

In August, a Calgary liquor store launched a lawsuit against the province of Alberta for failing to ensure timely delivery. Paul Dhillon, owner of the Stampede Liquor Company, said the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission had also failed to inform retailers of unexpected delays.

At the time, Norman Peterson, head of the commission, said that the province planned to hire more staff, increase pay and provide more warehouse space.