‘No excuses’ for retailers caught fraudulent booze

Talking Retail

February 16, 2017

Retailers will have “no excuses” if they get caught selling illegal alcohol products after the government’s Alcohol Wholesale Registration Scheme (AWRS) kicks in from 1 April, according to Bestway Wholesale.

The scheme puts the onus on retailers to prove they are purchasing alcohol from wholesalers that have registered with the scheme, which is designed to cut the increasing levels of non-duty paid stock entering the UK retail trade.

Government figures estimate 15% of the total UK beer market is now accounted for by “fraudulent sales”. In 2014/15, the amount of non-duty paid spirits doubled from 6% to 12%.

Martin Race, managing director for Bestway Wholesale, said: “The fraudulent trade in alcohol has been a major problem for many years. The wholesaler sector and our customers have suffered as ‘white-van man’ and other less-scrupulous ‘wholesalers’ have flooded the market with bootleg booze. The AWRS will clamp down on this supply and also provide customers with the confidence that they are operating within the legal framework.

“Retailers now have no excuses,” said Race. “They either buy from a registered wholesaler or potentially say bye-bye to their alcohol licence. Other penalties include seizure of stock and massive fines and it’s a statement of how far the problem has escalated over the past few years that these severe measures have been introduced.”

All Bestway and Batleys depots are now included in AWRS. Additionally, posters and point-of-sale material showing the company’s AWRS registration numbers will be available in depots and will also be printed on customer invoices to show they are legally compliant.