Asda case study: 'I think alcohol is cheaper than ever these days'

Published on Thursday 22 July 2010 15:34

Ysabelle Thackray and her friends Megan Landa and Bethany Singh Landa are in Asda getting stocked up for the Wickerman Festival this weekend.

They aren't normally Asda shoppers, but they have come to the outlet at the Jewel in Edinburgh to buy alcohol because of the supermarket's reputation for discount deals.

"We don't usually come to Asda but we have come to buy stuff for the festival because it is so cheap," says Bethany, from the Grange in Edinburgh, who works for a company that designs websites.

She doesn't think it's a good thing that Asda has pledged to make items such as milk loss leaders instead of alcohol. "That's no good - I don't need milk," she says.

Retired Marion Robertson, from Rosewell, Midlothian, is buying drink for a barbecue. "I do think alcohol is cheaper than ever these days, but that's a good thing because everyone is watching their pennies.

"But it will be a shame if higher prices mean people on benefits won't be able to get their tipple."

Her friend Lynne Preston, a property manager from Tranent, thinks there are still plenty of deals to be had. "If they have put their prices up it is still a lot cheaper than elsewhere."

Lisa Rooney, a carer from Tranent, believes people are increasingly buying alcohol to drink at home to save money. "It's getting dearer and dearer to have a drink outside."

She doesn't think higher prices will deter underage drinkers. "I think if kids are going to buy alcohol they will get hold of it. In my day you got 50p pocket money -- nowadays it is 20."

Retired Ian Smith, from Portobello, is filling his trolley with wine from the three for 12 section. "Some of these wines are very reasonable. If we've tried them before and we like them we'll pick them up when they are on special offer."

He doesn't think the pledge not to use alcohol as a loss leader will make a lot of difference. "I think competition between the big supermarkets - Tesco Asda and Morrisons is still going to mean there will be a lot of deals around."

Meanwhile, Belgians Geoffrey De Coppin and Tanya Lessines, far from being impressed by Asda's cheap deals, are surprised at how expensive everything is in the UK.

Ms Lessines said: "I think it is definitely cheaper in Belgium. There is the odd thing which is cheaper here but on the whole prices here are higher."

They plan to move to Edinburgh in a month's time. She says: "I don't think the price of alcohol will put us off - we are not big drinkers."

However council worker Keith Sutherland and Starbucks employee Laurie Tait are disappointed to hear the cheap deals are coming to an end.

But Ms Tait says she doesn't think the changes will make young people change their lifestyles: "I think people will just start buying really cheap cider and stuff like that."