Supermarkets will exploit smoking ban

I read with interest your editorial in The Publican (October 23). Like yourself I find the current government campaign chilling, but the message is clear and to the point and one that needs to be put across.

On this basic message level I cannot find too much fault with the basis and background behind the ad. However I too feel that the off trade has yet again come up smelling of roses from this.

The decision of one of our largest brewers to go public with its concerns about the recent practices of certain major retailers for selling beer below cost price (and as they sold it one would imagine they should know what they are talking about) needs to be applauded.

But further to this we need to question why nothing has been done to address this problem. As a retailer who has adopted a sensible drinking policy I am aware that many publicans have had visits from the police requesting they stop 'Happy Hour' promotions, or apply common sense to promotions.

Indeed, the majority of the on-trade is now extremely careful when promoting the sale of alcohol, as are our suppliers, to ensure that binge- drinking is not encouraged.

Why then does The Portman Group turn a blind eye to promotions such as those we saw during the World Cup, advertising case heaped upon case of cans and bottles under the banner of 'make sure you have something in for half time'?

Such a promotion would never pass Portman in the on-trade, so why is it allowed to happen in the off-trade?

Old news

The debate is not a new one. I remember my father discussing this very issue with me over 15 years ago!

But back then using alcohol as a loss-leader was not common practice, if it happened at all. Now it appears to be the norm, and even retailers which broke away from their 'pile it high, sell it cheap' agenda of the past seem to have amnesia when it comes to retailing cases of cheap booze!

You are right to note that it doesn't take a genius to realise that cheap beers and wines flogged by supermarkets, off licences and petrol stations (how on earth did that suddenly become common-place?) are a major factor in creating scenes of public drunkenness.

Perhaps it takes a greater genius to work out why there has to be a public whipping boy and yet a blind eye is turned to those who are greatly contributing to the problem yet appear to be doing little about it. I guess he who pays the piper calls the tune…

You should be worried

I am amazed The Publican was approached by a licensee who seemed to think that licensees don't care about this issue.

One wonders what sort of premises they run, or perhaps they are consolidating by purchasing shares in off-trade companies. I am yet to meet any publicans that are unconcerned by the practices of the supermarkets, indeed some are extremely angry about it.

In particular, those who run venues that are tied and having to pay full wholesale price feel particularly worried.

There is little understanding among our customers why we have to charge what we do to make a living, we have all heard the complaints about pricing when compared to the supermarkets (which sell it cheaper than we buy it - and pubcos get concerned about buying out? The answer is right in front of them!), yet outside our customer base one would imagine that we are selling so much booze that we are the devil incarnate, a modern day Mr Boozealot to yesterday's Mr Nicotine.

It is an issue that will be compounded come the smoking ban. The supermarkets will have no scruples or sympathy when the ban comes in. They will run loss-leader promotions to undermine the pubs and cease the opportunity that awaits them.

I hope that at least the brewers are aware of this and will ensure that they apply as much pressure as they can to ensure this does not happen, after all it will be their margins that will suffer in the long run. But, sadly I doubt it, the supermarkets will continue to undermine us, and we will continue to be held responsible. Now I am off to find a wall for some hanging of head practice.

Nick Griffin FBII is managing director of Pleisure Pub Company​