Trade Associations unite against alcohol ad ban

By James Bayley

Published: 21 February, 2023

The UK’s trade associations, representing the alcohol and retail sectors, have joined forces to oppose the Scottish government’s proposals for a ban on alcohol advertising and promotion.

Nine trade bodies representing beer, wine, spirits and retailers, in addition to the Retail of Alcohol Standards Group (a panel of major UK retailers), have signed a joint letter warning that, if the proposals go ahead, they could cause significant harm to Scotland’s businesses and drive up prices for consumers.

Reaching out to Holyrood ministers, following the resignation of first minister Nicola Sturgeon, the trade groups urged the new regime not to “needlessly” hold the country back “to the detriment of Scottish society”.

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The letter follows a similar open letter, sent earlier this month from Scotland’s most iconic distilleries and brewers, voicing their concern that banning alcohol from sponsoring sports and cultural events and removing branding from pubs could destroy Scotland’s globally celebrated drinks industry.

The trade bodies, which have united under the umbrella of the Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership (SAIP), argue that the ban would not reduce harmful drinking and is likely to push up crime. The letter states:

“There is no specific evidence which shows that restricting the ability to promote and responsibly market products, including low and no alcohol products, in-store, will lead to a reduction in alcohol sales or alcohol consumption.

“Retailers throughout Scotland go to great lengths to ensure that they have the correct licences to retail alcohol, that products are labelled according to UK labelling requirements, that products are placed in stipulated areas as per the Premises Licence and that products are sold for at least the minimum unit price.

“Moving alcohol to the back of stores or to closed-off areas will hinder a store’s ability to comply with the licensing objective of preventing crime as colleagues at the tills would not be able to visually monitor those areas.”

The letter points out that it’s not just businesses which will suffer from the proposed measures.

“Today, in a cost-of-living crisis that is placing immense strain on household budgets, the retail sector is striving to ensure minimal cost increases to our customers. This may not be possible with the restrictions suggested by the Scottish government. It would cost a minimum of £15k a time to relay smaller convenience stores and £25k a time for larger stores, even with no new equipment. Some retailers have suggested costs could be significantly more. With the suggestions of installing barriers, moving alcohol away from windowed areas, enclosing alcohol behind opaque doors or even having a closed-off and separate area within stores for alcohol, retailers would incur very substantial costs when their top priority is seeking savings that they could pass on to customers.”

Calling on the Scottish government to support industry the letter concludes:

“The measures as they stand will needlessly hold our country back, to the detriment of Scottish society: restricting consumer choice, increasing costs, and threatening the thriving economic contribution of our sector to the wider community.

“We urge the Scottish government to listen to the concerns of the retail industry regarding the significant impact these measures will have not only on the alcohol industry but also on the thousands of workers it supports in wider Scottish society.”

The open letter has been signed by the following bodies:

Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association (ANBA)

Association of Convenience Stores (ACS)

Retail of Alcohol Standards Group (RASG)

Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership (SAIP)

Scotch Whisky Association (SWA)

Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA)

Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF)

Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC)

Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA)

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA)

Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA)