Cheap, cheap alcohol as dead as a Dodo?
Fledgling Scottish liquor licensing laws flew into force on 1 October. And some of the new rules are getting punters in a bit of a flap. There’s now a prohibition on the bulk-buying of alcohol; minimum pricing of certain packages containing alcohol, and the “Challenge 25” policy.
So, now you cannot receive discounts on bulk purchases. Alcohol won’t be cheaper the more you buy. ‘Buy one get one free’, and ‘three for the price of two’ have been relegated to the history books, at least for the time being. The general idea is that we’ll end up buying less alcohol as there’s no incentive to buy in bulk.
But some canny retailers have already managed to circumvent the no bulk-buying rule. If you’re north of the border, you’re shopping online and the alcohol is despatched from England (as opposed to Scotland), then you can still enjoy cut price deals and bulk buys.
Moreover, a unit containing more than one alcoholic product (for example a case containing six individual bottles of beer) must now have a minimum price if the bottle of beer is available for sale separately. So if you buy a case of six bottles, the price of that unit must be at least six times the price of a separate bottle. However the new law only applies if the bottle of alcohol is for sale on its own, and can therefore be flouted if retailers stop selling bottles individually. The retailer can then sell the case at whatever price it likes, as there are no current minimum pricing laws. But ironically the consumer may end up having to buy more than they actually had planned.
Some retailers may continue to flog the single bottle but reduce its price, so that they can sell the case at the bargain price they wish. As long as the case is six times the price of the individual bottle, then it’s lawful. The case is therefore a bargain and the bottle may be super cheap, indeed much cheaper than it otherwise would be. So alcohol could prove to be a bargain under the new laws.
Wizened curmudgeons will laud the solemnising of “Challenge 25”. Although sounding like the finale in a Japanese TV game show, it will prove far from popular amongst younger drinkers, or those fortunate enough to have youthful genes or afford cosmetic injections. If the seller believes a punter appears to be under the age of 25, then that person must be asked for I.D., even if they are over 18 years old. No I.D. means no sale.
But what if someone over 18 is in a bar as part of a larger group; is asked for I.D because they look under 25; and they don’t have any? They must be refused the sale. But can that person lawfully drink alcohol on those premises? Well yes, actually, because the law does not prohibit their chum from shouting them a drink if they are over 18 years old. So one way of flouting “Challenge 25” may be to trouser drinks from your generous pal. Of course, your bestie would have to ensure that they have I.D., unless they appear over 25. And you must be 18.
Despite the Government’s crowing on about our consuming too much alcohol it is clear that some of the new laws are all aflutter. Ironically the next time you head to the wine warehouse you might just find you pay less for your pecking order. But minimum pricing, which is firmly on the Scottish Government’s policy agenda, may be a way to close off some of the loopholes. Cheap, cheap alcohol may not yet be dead as a Dodo, but birds wanting cheap prices may soon have to migrate for the canny buys.
Contact Caroline Treanor