ALMR: Ban cheap supermarket booze
A leading trade body has met licensing minister Gerry Sutcliffe in a bid to secure Government action against cheap supermarket booze.
The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) urged the minister to impose a ban on below-cost selling.
Pubs and bars themselves now face paying 44% more for Carlsberg or Grolsch than their customers can buy it at Sainsbury's or Tesco - that cannot be rightNick BishALMR chief exec
The ALMR put forward a number of other recommendations including;
• Removing the presumption of longer licensing hours for supermarkets from Licensing Guidance - currently supermarkets are allowed to sell alcohol at any time when the shop is open.
• Re-introduce controls on the siting of alcohol displays.
• References in Guidance to control of irresponsible promotions should explicitly refer to off-trade offers.
"These are simple steps which the Government could and should take to give a clear signal to the supermarkets that they need to put their house in order - pubs and bars are stamping out irresponsible promotions, it is high time they did so too," said ALMR chief executive Nick Bish.
"There has been much talk about 24 hour licensing, but this is only a reality in the off-trade sector. The number of 24 hour off-licences has doubled since the Licensing Act was introduced - almost all of the new ones are supermarkets.
"It is no surprise, therefore, that retail sales of alcohol through the off-trade are up 50% since 1997 and are 24% cheaper in real terms over the same period.
"If the Government is serious about alcohol consumption then it must do more to encourage all industry sectors to adopt a more responsible approach to alcohol retailing."
Bish stressed to Sutcliffe the effect that cheap supermarket booze was having on licensed premises.
"Pubs and bars themselves now face paying 44% more for Carlsberg or Grolsch than their customers can buy it at Sainsbury's or Tesco - that cannot be right."
