Supermarkets ramp up cheap offers
Supermarkets are hotting up for an Easter beer price war despite last week's responsible retailing rhetoric.
Last week, Tesco said it did want to raise prices but could only do so if the Government allowed discussions with competitors without the risk of being accused of price fixing.
This week Tesco is selling 24 x 440ml cans of Strongbow for £10 - 42p a can - and 24 x 440ml cans of Foster's for £15.
Asda, which last week said it would not sell booze after midnight, advertised its offers in the Sun.
It is offering two crates of 18 x 440ml cans of John Smith's, Carling, Stella Artois, Carlsberg or Foster's for just £16 - 44p a can.
Asda said it disagreed with Tesco that Government legislation was needed to raise prices.
Meanwhile, Morrison's advertised in the Telegraph offering customers two cases of Stella Artois or Becks for £15 - 32p a bottle.
Sainsbury also has an offer on two cases 20 x 275ml bottles of Becks for £20 and has slashed the price of 15 x 330ml bottles of Stella Artois to £7.49.
Below-cost selling
"The supermarkets have got to make a commitment to not selling below cost and there is no reason why someone as big as Tesco can not do that individually," said Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers chief executive Nick Bish.
"Supermarkets are happy to make statements on plastic bags but it is much more important that they make a statement on selling alcohol below cost.
"They must find an alternative way to add value for their customers."
Mike Rowlands of Macclesfield based multiple operator Guardian Leisure said: "When is the on-trade going to pull together and help stop this?
"This sort of irresponsible pricing is going to hurt us all when the Government is persuaded to put up all alcohol prices."
Lincolnshire-based licensing consultant and operator Michael Kheng added: "If the supermarkets started selling their alcohol at a price that did not encourage people to buy and drink it in an uncontrolled environment, then maybe some of the problems being highlighted in the press would start to reduce."
In a MorningAdvertiser.co.uk poll, 70% of licensees said they would support a minimum price scheme in order to stamp out irresponsible promotions in both the on and off-trade.
