Retailers Welcome Fair Implementation Announcement on Minimum Unit Alcohol Pricing 

Commenting on the Scottish Government announcement on the continuation of Minimum Unit Pricing of Alcohol, Ewan MacDonald-Russell, Deputy Head of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said:

“Retailers worked collaboratively with the Scottish Government to effectively deliver Minimum Unit Pricing of Alcohol in 2018. We support the continuation of the policy and have worked with government to explain how a rise in MUP could be pragmatically implemented by retailers considering a higher price will impact more businesses, products, and suppliers. We therefore welcome the announcement there will be a fair implementation period to allow retailers to update systems, make decisions on ranging, and be ready to increase prices from September. That will also provide time for the Scottish Government to run a wide-ranging campaign as they did in 2018 to ensure customers are aware price rises are the result of this policy, which will hopefully lessen the chances of friction between shoppers and store colleagues.

“However, we wholeheartedly reject the unevidenced and unreasonable calls from campaign groups for retailers to face new levies, or a surtax, because of this policy.  Research commissioned by Public Health Scotland found the economic performance of the alcoholic drinks industry was not significantly impacted by MUP. There is no evidence retailers have significantly benefited from the policy, beyond the wider health benefits which accrue from reduced consumption of products in scope of MUP. Any mooted tax rises are nothing more than a thinly veiled cash grab at the expense of an industry already under immense pressure.”

Ends

The SRC’s consultation response to the continuation of MUP can be read in full here: https://brc.org.uk/news/corporate-affairs/src-response-to-scottish-government-consultation-on-continuing-mup/