Retailers fight States plans to end supermarket discount alcohol deals

Monday 07 March 2016

Plan to ban discount beer, wine and spirits in supermarkets and off-licences are being challenged by retailers.

The Economic Development department have opened a consultation on changes to licensing laws which would include ending discounts and price promotions for retailers, and taking the licensing process out of the hands of the Royal Court.

And in a rare show of unity across the retail industry, the Co-op and Sandpiper are teaming up to fight the proposals, which they say will “unfairly impact all consumers of alcoholic drinks regardless of their levels of consumption”.

Pubs and bars are already banned from offering discount booze – the proposals put forward by the States would extend the same ban to the retail trade, which pays a smaller proportion of license fees but sells significantly more alcohol.

The Co-op, Sandpiper and business lobby group the Chamber of Commerce say that the price of alcohol has been rising every year because of duty rate increases – they say that there’s a possibility that big changes to the current rules could encourage more people to bring in more alcohol from France or the UK.

SandpiperCI’s CEO Tony O’Neill said: “We very much support the responsible selling of alcohol and support improvements in training and education for all involved.

“However, we are puzzled the consultation report highlights that the ‘majority of the population drinks and that for the most part do so sensibly’, so why penalise the vast majority of island consumers by proposing to stop any price promotions on their favourite tipple?”

The Channel Islands Co-Operative Society’s Chief Operating Officer, Mark Cox, said: “The Society fully supports the intention of the new law, however we believe that the proposal to remove special offers in retail outlets is ill considered and will not only be very difficult to enforce, but are unconvinced that it will have the impact desired by the Government.

“It is ill-targeted to use such a blunt policy instrument that impacts upon all consumers of alcoholic drinks regardless of whether or not the groups concerned have anything to do with alcohol misuse.”