Up to the individual

Morrisons has become the latest supermarket giant to respond to The Publican's Dump the Deals campaign.

The letter, from licensed trades director of Morrisons John Spurs, does not make direct reference to the controversial issue of supermarkets using alcohol as a loss-leader.

Instead, he points out the work done by Morrisons and other companies through the Retail of Alcohol Standards Group (RASG) and the introduction of the TASK 21 scheme.

However, Spurs said that Morrisons could not accept responsibility for the ways customers behaved after purchasing products from their stores.

"We take our responsibility with regard to selling alcohol very seriously. Ultimately the responsibility of any purchase lies with the individual and not the retailer," he wrote.

This response now just leaves Tesco as the only one of the big four supermarket retailers not to reply to The Publican's letter sent out in mid-January, following recent responses from the chief executives of both Sainsbury's and Asda.

Caroline Nodder​Editor​The Publican​Ludgate House​245 Blackfriars Road​London ​SE1 9UY ​March 7, 2007​

Dear Ms Nodder​

Re: The promotion of alcohol in Morrisons stores​

Thank you for your letter about the promotion of alcohol in our stores and for the opportunity to respond to your comments on this matter.​

The essence of our promotional package is focused on offering customers quality and value across the whole weekly shop and this includes a licensed offering for our customers' choice.​

We take our responsibility with regard to selling alcohol very seriously. Ultimately however, the responsibility of any purchase within a supermarket lies with the individual and not the retailer as long as there is clear signposting.​

Within our stores, we have implemented a number of procedures designed to ensure that we meet all legal requirements and also fulfil a social obligation as far as possible. I have outlined examples below which I hope you find of interest:​

• Having formed RASG, all major multiples including Morrisons continue to work with the government on how best to remedy the issue of excessive drinking.​

• RASG point of sale is prominently positioned both at the point of purchase and throughout the Beers, Wines & Spirits department and I have enclosed copies of these for your reference.​

• We have also introduced the TASK 21 Scheme which ensures that if we believe a customer wishing to purchase alcohol is under the age of 21, they will be asked to provide recognised 'proof of age' documentation.​

• The Drink Aware logo is now featured on all alcohol related marketing literature as well as the Morrisons website to further highlight the need for responsible drinking.​

• An increasing number of the alcoholic products we sell, including over 100 own brand products, now list the number of units of alcohol per glass. The introduction of this clear labelling will continue throughout the year to aid customers in their buying decisions.​

• Furthermore, we operate an ongoing training programme whereby staff are reviewed on a daily, monthly and three monthly basis. One such element of the programme is to ensure that alcohol is not sold to either those below the legal age or to anyone believed to be under the influence of alcohol.​

Thank you again for the opportunity to respond and the chance to highlight the current procedures and activities being undertaken within Morrisons.​

Yours sincerely,​

John Spurs​

Licensed Trades Director​