Publicans buy stocks from supermarkets

Related tags Publicans Supermarket Cash & carry

More than half of publicans admit to buying stock from supermarkets. Fifty three per cent of publicans questioned outside cash and carries by market...

More than half of publicans admit to buying stock from supermarkets.

Fifty three per cent of publicans questioned outside cash and carries by market research firm him! said they bought from supermarkets rather than through their foodservice distributor or at a cash and carry.

The most popular products they bought were bread and other bakery products, while other stock included fruit and vegetables, milk and meat and poultry.

The majority bought less than 20 per cent of their stock from supermarkets, although 23 per cent bought between 20 per cent and 40 per cent.

The findings, which are similar to what Publican readers told last year's Food Report, raises questions about why licensees cannot get what they want through the trade. Half said they bought from supermarkets because they were more convenient, while a third said cheaper prices tempted them to use supermarkets.

Tom Fender, director of him!, said supermarkets were proving the easiest place for many licensees to top up. "If they want to just buy a few things, it will be much quicker to queue up at an express checkout in a supermarket, rather than go to a cash and carry," he said.

"It won't take them too long, they can buy things in minimum quantities rather than having to buy a case, and there's often even 24 hour opening if they want it."

Other findings of him!'s Cash & Carry Caterer Tracking Programme, which quizzed 392 pub and bar customers, included the fact that more than 50 per cent of publicans buy alcohol on their visit to the cash and carry.

But a third of publicans failed to buy anything at all on a cash and carry visit, mainly due to out of stocks.

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