Supermarkets swerve new laws on cheap booze offers
Alcohol abuse campaigners have accused retailers of undermining the new laws aimed at curbing excessive drinking. Picture: Ian Rutherford
SUPERMARKETS are continuing to promote cheap booze deals in the run-up to Christmas despite legal attempts by the Scottish Government to crack down on heavily discounted alcohol and curb excessive drinking.
In October ministers banned retailers from offering bulk discount deals, such as 3 for 2 and Buy One Get One Free, to cut the supply of cut-price alcohol in Scotland.
But a survey by Scotland on Sunday has found that although supermarkets are sticking to the new legislation, they are still offering alcoholic drinks at the same or similar discounted prices. Alcohol abuse campaigners have now accused retailers of undermining the spirit of the new laws.
The amendment to the Licensing Act (2005) came into effect on 1 October and outlawed all “irresponsible drink promotions” in off-licences and supermarkets in a bid to discourage customers from buying alcohol in bulk. But despite the new legislation, many spirits, wine and beer are available for the same reduced price as last year.
In December 2010, the cheapest deal for a 70cl bottle of Smirnoff vodka was “2 for £20” in Tesco. This year, that promotion is unavailable but the same branded drink is available at the same heavily discounted price of £10 a bottle.
Asda’s 3 for £10 offer on selected wines, available in its stores before the legislation, is now only promoted south of the Border. But since November the same bottles in Asda stores have been available to customers for £3.33 each in Scotland, effectively bypassing the new regulations. Tesco offers similar discounts, with many of their wines reduced to £4 a bottle to match their previous ‘3 for £12’ UK deal.
Meanwhile, Asda has also reintroduced last year’s discounted £7 offer on crates of beer and cider, meaning cases of branded products are available for just £1.33 per litre. It has also slashed prices on a range of wines by up to 50 per cent. Morrisons has also slashed prices of its cases of 12 beers from £10 to £7, although restricting customers to a maximum of six.
Taking into account the VAT increase of last January and year-on-year alcohol inflation of around 4 per cent, it means supermarkets are offering booze at a lower price than last year.
Jackie Baillie, the Scottish shadow health secretary, said the current deals were “grossly irresponsible and completely counter to the spirit of the legislation.” The Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, Alison McInnes, agreed it was “disappointing to see the attitude of some supermarkets in trying to get round the rules for selling cheap alcohol”.
Anti-alcohol-abuse campaigners said the current tactics by supermarkets showed a blatant disregard for the new legislation. Dr Evelyn Gillan, Chief Executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, criticised supermarkets for selling alcohol at the same “ridiculously low” prices as last year and claimed: “Scotland urgently needs minimum pricing of alcohol units to reduce the devastating effects of excessive drinking.”
Scotland has a well documented problem with alcohol misuse, with the cost to the NHS, Scottish business, social services, the police and courts estimated at around £3.56 billion a year, nearly £900 for every Scottish adult. Alcohol-related death rates have also doubled since the early 90s and last year 23 per cent more alcohol was sold per adult than in England and Wales.
Although measures to introduce minimum pricing were voted down in the Scottish parliament last year, the SNP intends to reintroduce it in the new year. A government spokesperson said it “had always intended to introduce a minimum price along with the quantity discount ban which would have prevented retailers from dropping the price of a single bottle to such a low level”. The SNP have yet to confirm what the proposed minimum pricing will be, but last year’s plans had outlined 45p per unit of alcohol. This would mean that 20 440ml cans of 4.2 per cent lager would have to sell at a retail price of at least £13.68, a 36 per cent increase on this Christmas’s offers.
Retailers have been accused of exploiting loopholes in the new rules on quantity buying before. Tesco was criticised in September for telling customers it was “great news” that their online wine deals would be unaffected by the ban as they are delivered from an English warehouse.
A spokesperson for Asda said the supermarket “abides by all the legislative demands asked of it”, and that they had “led other retailers in committing not to sell alcohol below the rate of duty plus VAT”.
A Tesco spokesperson said the chain “always abides by Scottish law”.
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Comments
There are 10 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
samcoldstream
Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 09:59 AMThe Scottish Government will just have to bring in a further amendment to the Act, except this time with teeth.
Tintock Pete
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 10:44 PMthe cost to the NHS, Scottish business, social services, the police and courts estimated at around £3.56 billion a year............................I think you'll find it doesn't cost these anything.
Kobi
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 08:35 PMComment removed by moderator
Aristotle
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 08:05 PMFunny how the government can attempt to dictate the cost of drink but is seemingly powerless to do the same with gas & electricity prices. Surely it is more important to ensure the population can keep warm than try to control their drinking habits.
Velv
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 03:53 PMThis shows why the SNP cannot be trusted to set our laws. The law removing special offers has simply reduced the price for everyone, making it more affordable and thereby increasing consumption. totally counter-productive to their aims. If they can't get the simple laws right, what chance have they got of running a proper country.
Logie88
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 03:00 PMWhat is the problem with people like Evelyn Gillan? Surely this is the best possible outcome. The objection to 3 for £10 type offers was that it put pressure on people to buy more than they wanted. Surely now people can buy as much or as little as they like without being penalised simply because they live in Scotland.
samcoldstream
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 09:36 AMLet us wait until next year when the big four produce their interim results before writing off this legislation.
gus1940
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 07:25 AM#2 There isn't much chance of you being compared with Einstein.
Charles Linskaill
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 01:05 AMScottish Government want to remove our freedom of choice, while our Supermarkets give us all freedom of choice, It does not take us all to become Einstein to know the Scottish Government are in the wrong!
Charles Linskaill
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 12:49 AMSupermarkets are not undermining the spirit of the new laws, They are "undermining" Laws of utter ludicrous stupidity, And Good on Them!
Page 1 of 1
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