RETAILERS DON’T CAUSE EXCESSIVE DRINKING

5 June 2007

On the day Government alcohol plans are expected to be released (Tuesday) the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and major retailers will be meeting MPs to debunk a series of myths and spell out their commitment to public health and responsible alcohol retailing.

The BRC’s Parliamentary Briefing is being held as the Government publishes its Alcohol Strategy. It is expected to focus on measures to tackle the health and social effects of excessive drinking by teenagers, especially younger teenagers, and ‘hidden’, heavy adult drinking.  

The BRC says supermarkets do not cause excessive drinking. In fact they are at the forefront of the drive to encourage responsible consumption and prevent under-age sales.

BRC evidence shows supermarkets are rarely the outlet of choice for people buying alcohol to drink immediately. Overwhelmingly alcohol is bought from supermarkets as part of a routine shop for a full range of groceries with only one in a hundred transactions being of alcohol alone.

Promotions are concentrated on larger volume purchases which are usually consumed over an extended period or at domestic social events. Stores discount alcohol in exactly the same way they do other products, to make the most competitive offer to customers. Lower prices do not create problem drinking. Banning discounting would simply penalise the vast majority of customers who drink responsibly.

BRC Director General Kevin Hawkins said: “Alcohol price cutting by supermarkets does not create problem drinking. Very few supermarket customers buy just alcohol and it isn’t aimed at immediate consumption. Banning discounting, even if it was possible under competition law, would simply penalise the vast majority of customers who take it home to drink over a period or at family events.

“Retailers are leading the alcohol industry on efforts to prevent under age sales and they are providing customers with clear information to enable them to make sensible choices.

“On excessive drinking and its effects, retailers are an easy target but not the right one.”

Retailers are making a substantial contribution to tackling problem drinking. They have:

    * Strongly backed the development of a new Department of Health alcohol label that sets out, simply, how many units are in the bottle and the maximum number of units an adult should drink in a day, making it easier than ever to work out how much can be sensibly consumed.
    * Introduced the Challenge 21 principle, where customers who appear under 21 (not 18) are challenged to show ID before they will be sold alcohol.
    * Introduced staff checking of customer ages for self-scan till and home delivery purchases.
    * Backed The Drinkaware Trust. Major retailers are represented on the board of this alcohol education body and thousands of products carry links to its website.