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RETAILERS SELLING ALCOHOL in Ireland are changing their marketing strategies as minimum unit pricing for alcohol it set to come into effect next year, according to a new price survey of the nation’s off-licences.
Research by Alcohol Action Ireland has found that Irish women can now spend as little as €4.95 to reach their weekly limit for low-risk alcohol consumption, with the figure rising to €7.65 for men.
The figures for men and women are the same as a similar survey carried out by the charity last year.
The recommended low-risk limits for alcohol consumption in men is 17 standard drinks spread out over the course of a week, while the limit for women is 11 standard drinks.
A standard drink is a measure of alcohol and in Ireland, one standard drink contains ten grams of pure alcohol.
It comes as the Government prepares to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol in January 2022 which will put the price of alcohol at a minimum of 10c per gram.
Alcohol Action Ireland said today that alcohol producers and retailers are already shifting their marketing strategies to ensure retention of key price points ahead of minimum pricing.
“Product offerings are going to change, [retailers] are going to have more 12 and eight-can packages at a price threshold of €14, €15,” said Eunan McKinney, Head of Communications at Alcohol Action Ireland.
McKinney said that retailers in Ireland are beginning to shift to selling less multi-pack units of beer and will likely move towards selling smaller volume units such as 440ml cans and 500ml bottles of spirits in order to retain price points.
“That’s not a huge difference but all the same it’s 12% less alcohol in the product,” he said, adding this could result in less alcohol consumption in Ireland.
“Obviously minimum pricing has been brought in to reduce alcohol consumption, but the unforeseen result is that the product offerings will also change and that will have an impact in relation to reducing alcohol consumption.”
The charity, however, warned that that the continued use by Irish retailers, especially on their online shopping portals, of UK-based guidelines that reflect a smaller Standard Drink measure (8gm), remains “problematic and misleading”.
According to the charity’s survey, cider is the cheapest product by standard drink, followed by beer, wine, gin, vodka and whiskey.
It found that Irish consumer can spend (on average) as little as 45c for a standard drink of cider and 46c for a standard drink of beer.
The average cost of a standard drink of wine in the survey was 56c, while a standard drink of gin was 68c. Standard drinks in vodka products examined in the survey were, on average, 63c each.
The study was carried out in off licences over two weeks in July, in locations in Dublin, Sligo and Ashbourne in a range of convenience stores, neighbourhood shops and supermarkets including Aldi, Centra, Dunnes, Lidl, Londis, Spar, Supervalu and Tesco.
In Ashbourne, a two litre bottle of cider with an alcohol content of 5.3% was found for as cheap as €3.79, while the cheapest lager – with a content of 4% – was €8.79 for 12 cans.
A 700ml bottle of whiskey with an alcohol content of 40% was available for €12.99, while a 12% bottle of wine was available for €3.99.
The cheapest beer in Dublin was four cans of 3.8% lager priced at €2.64. Meanwhile, the cheapest spirit with an alcohol content of 37.5% was a 700ml bottle of vodka for €12.99.
Separately, research from University College Cork found that from a sample group of 90 retailers only 58% were compliant with Section 22 of the Public Health Alcohol Act regarding separation and visibility of alcohol products in stores.
Commenting on today’s findings, Dr. Sheila Gilheany, CEO, Alcohol Action Ireland, said: “The unsatisfactory rate of compliance by retailers to match the regulations of the Public Health Alcohol Act, after having been afforded a two-year transition, is deeply disappointing.
“It demonstrates, yet again, an unwillingness of those hyper selling alcohol to respond to the spirit of public health initiatives.
“A generational shift in attitude towards alcohol can be achieved in Ireland but only if those at the heart of its commerce, act in manner that is compliant with the law.”
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“Survey attempts to justify more taxes”.
@Aidan Finn: I don’t think the proposed price changes are due to a tax, rather I think there is a pro-rata increase in the retailers income
Nanny state at it again.
@Bala mc blaha: I’m amazed MUP might be coming in given it is hugely unpopular with little evidence it will have any effect on our relationship with alcohol.
@Mickety Dee: how did sugar tax work out?….
@Mickety Dee: it’s designed to benefit pubs. Too many people getting cheap alcohol to drink at home.
@Jim Buckley Barrett: well it pushed brands like Coca Cola to invest in sugar free variants of their product I.e Coke Zero..
@Mickety Dee: my 8 pack of choice was on special at €10 for the month of July I found I drank more because of this, €10 for 8 cans is dangerously cheap
@Alan Peters: i don’t need to point out that this is 100% your issue with self control, and nothing to do with MUP. Its only dangerously cheap if you are dangerously close to not functioning after consuming your personal purchases.
@James Ward: shocking news: addiction is directly related to issues with self control.
@Ciaran: that’s not true at all, Coca Cola had many sugar free and low sugar varieties of its drinks for years now, if not decades. The sugar tax did nothing to them, just stung the average consumer.
@John Black: True, Coke Zero’s been around for years.
We also have the most expensive alcohol in the EU.
@Munster1: and the most expensive non-alcoholic too, not much incentive for getting people to buy less alcohol if they’ve retailers and bars fleecing people for non-alcoholic beer too.
@SPQH: just why is non-alcoholic so expensive anyway, its not taxed the same! Big margins I’d say.
Survey finds six out of seven dwarfs are not happy
@Larry Betts: Sleepy did not complete the survey
The minimum pricing strategy is lauded as a success in Scotland, based on a 5% reduction in over the counter sales, but it ignores the obvious reality, that illicit alcohol is smuggled into Scotland, to supply a market that has been created by minimum pricing and exactly the same thing will happen here.
@David Van-Standen: they address that and the report is not a huge increase in “white van runs”, but a different scenario here as our minimum is massively higher that scotland, but the aim of our initiative is to encourage higher revenue pub drinking (even though alcohol action are being used badly by the vintners). the true results in Scotland (reduced liver and alcohol injuries) haven’t happened yet, and might be 40 years.
To be honest I do not care about the initiatives of health care people. I do not need the Government to be my mummy. I am old enough to take my own decisions
@Johannes Baader: That’s an argument for drug legalisation right there.
@Tomo: Euthanasia too, be great if we could just vote on these things, as the government are not fit for purpose really (any of them).
@Johannes Baader:
Will you want the government and the tax payer to be your mummy and pay for you health care should you get cirrhosis of the liver or other drink related health issue?
Alcohol Action Ireland. A group of 3 people who get government funding of over 250k for their 3 full time jobs salaries. And their job is to either welcome government statements or to go into shops to jot down prices.
Vintners lobby again
Education is the answer, not more tax or higher prices. We’r already are one of the most expensive countries in Europe. Wish this group would stop publishing the same old storey, rehashed, re written and just given a new title.
If the goverment is going to make it impossible for us to have a secure place to live in can they at least keep it affordable to get smashed and pretend we are not living in a neo liberal failed state?
The P C brigade should mind their own business in what people do
For some of the prices listed here, minimum unit pricing will make a huge difference. The 700ml bottle of whisky 40% would cost a minimum of €22.12.
The 12 cans of larger at 4% would be €18.96.
After this comes in, the minimum a tray of Guinness (24x500ml cans at 4.2%) can be sold for is €39.82. So no more offers coming up to christmas next year :(
This calculator is handy for working it out.
https://www.irishwinereviews.ie/minimum-unit-pricing-calculator
@Noel Tate:
Tesco haven’t budged from 14€ for an 8 pack in a long time ><
@Noel Tate: the 12.99 bottle of spirit won’t exist. There will be fewer products, very few generics and more money going to Diageo core range.
@Ixtrix Net: that wouldn’t be impacted as it is already above the minimum.
An 8 pack (4000ml at 4.2%) would be a minimum of €13.27
@Ruth Court: diageo will be BIG winners from this. Already Diageo own more brands than most people know. Same as Heineken.
@Noel Tate:
yeah :( they have slab at 39.99€ at moment too.
sidenote funny thing with Tesco’s rather terrible site,, search for guinness, and will see an 8 pack of budweiser in results oO, has been for years
@Noel Tate: All across the border again. Two weeks ago 19 crimes wine 7 sterling 15.00 euro Tesco 15.99 Dunnes and Supervalu. 1litre bottle of Absolut 37 euro Dunnes 36 Tesco 21 sterling Nisa 20 Sainsburys. Even with the difference in currency still cheaper to travel.
@Ruth Court: job losses as well, less stock less staff.
@Noel Tate: still cheaper than going to the pub
More taxes FFS
And weekly intake limit an also be reached in less that 8 hours ….
Vintners can forget it ,it’a Saturday trade only ,the times and laws of drink driving have changed the trade forever.
Who cares if it can be reached for 1 euro . People who have a problem with alcohol are going to buy whatever the price . Reality is why should throes who enjoy a tipple have to pay more because of others abusing .
@DB: Exactly – if they want to limit off-licence alcohol sales, they might as well be upfront and ration sales, but that’s not even considered.
Please tell me where,I love a bargain.
The kinahan’s will be happy with this tax.
It’s great news for moonshine producers and cross border off-licences.
Sounds more like the monthly alcohol intake anywhere else can be reached for the same price.
Just wait until people learn how incredibly easy and fun it is to brew 20 litres of 5% IPA in one’s own kitchen for maybe €15-€20 worth of ingredients. The government are about to open a can of worms they are fundamentally unprepared for.
@Patrick FitzGerald: I did it myself a few times over the years. It was fairly potent too.
I’m saving for a house of course I am going to buy a bottle of wine for €3.99 to save money!!!
Where
Looks like the lobbyists for the pubs are getting there way it’s no coincidence that as soon as people stay at home to drink they want to put prices up. What a joke.
Woohoo it’s great isn’t it lol
Gotta start drinking white lightning. What’s the point of a decent bottle of wine or a nice craft beer.
Thank god !
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