Off-licences oppose scrapping of ban on below-cost selling

The National Off-Licence Association has expressed its opposition to growing calls for the removal of the ban on below-cost selling contained in the Groceries Order.

The ban was introduced in 1986 to prevent large supermarkets from under-cutting small retailers and putting them out of business.

A recent report said it was uncompetitive and should be scrapped, but the National Off-Licence Association said today that this could lead to an increase in alcohol abuse.

It claimed scrapping the legislation could see bottles of whisky selling for as little as €1 as retailers engage in a price war.

John Shiel, the chairman of the association, said: "It could lead to alcohol being sold extraordainarily cheaply.

"It could see it being used as a loss-leader to pull people into stores and being offset against price rises on other products."