Alcohol in convenience stores: Sector pushes for slice of grog pie

ROSE BRENNAN
February 18, 2017
The Daily Telegraph

CONVENIENCE stores want to sell alcohol alongside petrol and coffee under a plan put to the federal government’s investigation into slashing liquor red tape.

Just as the shops sell cigarettes and lotto tickets, the sector wants to sell alcohol so they can compete with the major retailers and satisfy customers.

The plan would bring Australia in line with the UK and United States, with liquor predicted to boost sales by about 7 per cent.

Australasian Association of Convenience Stores chief executive officer Jeff Rogut said the sector wanted to compete with supermarket giants, who controlled 60 per cent of the annual $16.2 billion packaged alcohol industry.

“These days you can order alcohol online and have it delivered to your home or use a drive-through bottle shop at all sorts of hours and buy alcohol. It’s about time the government was open to looking at other opportunities for our businesses,” he said.

Coles Group sells alcohol through Liquorland, while Woolworths is affiliated with BWS.

“We want government to give our industry a fair go,” Mr Rogut said.

He said alcohol sales would boost the sector by $600 million a year.

7-Eleven also wants to sell alcohol.

“We’re not advocating 24/7 trade in alcohol — simply being able to offer our customers the same access to the same products within the same regulatory frameworks as supermarkets and drive-throughs are able to, as our stores already responsibly do with tobacco,” the group’s corporate affairs general manager, Clayton Ford, said.

A Liquor & Gaming NSW spokesman said alcohol sales at convenience stores and petrol stations were restricted to “help reduce alcohol-related harms such as under-age drinking and drink-driving”.

“Petrol stations can’t sell alcohol, while convenience stores with less than 240sq m of retail area may be granted a packaged liquor licence in limited circumstances,” he said.

“The Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority must be satisfied there is no other takeaway alcohol service in the neighbourhood and the sale of alcohol would not encourage drink-driving or other alcohol-related harm.”

The federal inquiry is due to report on March 14 after public hearings this month