Supermarkets changing drink aisles

Irish Steve

Not quite sure what's going on at the local (Ashbourne) supermarkets, ever since we can remember, there have been barrier tapes that they could use to close off the drink aisle before 10:30 in the morning, but in recent days, several of the local supermarkets are putting up much more substantial barrier doors to close them off.

The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if they've been given an "official" advance warning that as part of the Christmas Covid changes, there will be changes coming to the hours they can sell booze, and that they will have to have more positive methods to close the drink aisles. I suspect that there's worries among NPHET that the easy access to slabs of cans etc is encouraging the "house party" mentality, and they need to get that under control to reduce the community spread.

There has to be something like that going on, in that 3 of the supermarkets in the town here are all making changes at the moment. If it was one or maybe 2 of them doing it, I'd be putting it down to that they want easier control over the aisle, but for 3 of them to all be making similar changes at the same time, that sounds to me like someone has upped the ante and they are having to make preparations ahead of a significant change.

Anyone else noticed similar activity in their local stores?

grinder23

New law

Stark

Implementing a law that was introduced with the 2018 Public Health Act: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/explained-the-new-rules-on-the-sale-of-alcohol-in-supermarkets-that-come-into-effect-today-39737548.html

The new law, introduced under Section 22 of the Public Health Alcohol Act, 2018, will see mixed sale shops being forced to barrier or enclose alcohol away from the rest of the store.

One of the major aims of the legislation is to reduce the attractiveness of alcohol to children and young people.

Because hiding something away totally reduces the attractiveness of it to teenagers.

normanoffside

Irish Steve wrote: »

Not quite sure what's going on at the local (Ashbourne) supermarkets, ever since we can remember, there have been barrier tapes that they could use to close off the drink aisle before 10:30 in the morning, but in recent days, several of the local supermarkets are putting up much more substantial barrier doors to close them off.

The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if they've been given an "official" advance warning that as part of the Christmas Covid changes, there will be changes coming to the hours they can sell booze, and that they will have to have more positive methods to close the drink aisles. I suspect that there's worries among NPHET that the easy access to slabs of cans etc is encouraging the "house party" mentality, and they need to get that under control to reduce the community spread.

There has to be something like that going on, in that 3 of the supermarkets in the town here are all making changes at the moment. If it was one or maybe 2 of them doing it, I'd be putting it down to that they want easier control over the aisle, but for 3 of them to all be making similar changes at the same time, that sounds to me like someone has upped the ante and they are having to make preparations ahead of a significant change.

Anyone else noticed similar activity in their local stores?

It has been brought in this week in every supermarket

It has nothing to do with Covid, the law was passed in 2018

https://www.sundayworld.com/news/irish-news/new-legislation-on-the-sale-of-alcohol-in-supermarkets-explained-39739668.html

Irish Steve

Ahh, OK, that answer that one. Not sure how effective it will be, I've not seen the barriers yet, as I've been keeping out of the supermarkets where possible, came up in conversation here over lunch.

No great surprise that they are only putting the doors in after the date they were supposed to, they'll probably blame Covid for delaying the work.

prunudo

Now that you say it, my local dunnes has changed their layout. The off license is now within its own area using the shelving to create a seperate 'room'. Hadn't noticed a doorway or barriers but must look next time I'm there.

@normanoffside, surely its Tony Holahan wielding his powers to destroy our way off life. Too much coincidence to be implementation of an existing law :pac:

PTH2009

One of the super values near me had the barriers up the start of October

What's the bloody point of it all ?. Pure Irish ideas with no substance

wonga77

Another one of those laws that isn't going to have any effect on people purchasing.
A bit like changing the colour of cigarette packets, made no difference to people's smoking habits whatsoever

_Kaiser_

Noticed this myself in the local Dunnes a few weeks back. They've moved the alcohol down the back next to the store room. Pointless.. just caused confusion for everyone trying to find stuff again.

Stark

wonga77 wrote: »

A bit like changing the colour of cigarette packets, made no difference to people's smoking habits whatsoever

I would disagree with that. It's been very effective in Australia at least (where they've been collecting a lot of data since 2012).

prunudo

wonga77 wrote: »

Another one of those laws that isn't going to have any effect on people purchasing.
A bit like changing the colour of cigarette packets, made no difference to people's smoking habits whatsoever

If anything it reverts back to our old way of dealing with things in this country, out of sight, out of mind. Rather than being mature about our alcohol consumption, we can now purchase in secluded corners of a shop, hiding away incase anyone may see us buying that dirty bottle of wine.

elperello

This is not Covid 19 related.

The issue has it's own thread here - https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058128484

_Kaiser_

prunudo wrote: »

If anything it reverts back to our old way of dealing with things in this country, out of sight, out of mind. Rather than being mature about our alcohol consumption, we can now purchase in secluded corners of a shop, hiding away incase anyone may see us buying that dirty bottle of wine.

There's a lot of things lately that could be considered a retrograde step from a social perspective...

Thelonious Monk

I think this is absolutely f*cking outrageous that the nanny state are putting this on us. We are drinking less than we ever have.
What are they doing it for? Our health? We all have to get sick and die eventually one way or another.
I'm embarrassed to be Irish when I see this kind of stuff happening.

wonga77

Stark wrote: »

I would disagree with that. It's been very effective in Australia at least (where they've been collecting a lot of data since 2012).

Maybe it's just our store then, it hasn't made an ounce of difference to our cigarette sales. If people want to smoke then they're gonna smoke and the colour on a packet isn't going to change that. Less and less young ones are smoking now but that's more to do with price.

Beasty

Not covid related so moved from Coronavirus forum