Aldi warned over cut-price drink promotion
Aldi has provoked anger from alcohol campaigners with the launch of a promotion offering brands such a Stella Artois beer and Single Estate wine at half price or lower.
The discount retailer launched ‘The Big Deal’ promotional campaign last week after its recent growth spurt was seen to be slowing in the face of price promotions from rivals such as Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.
The promotion will cover different products each month. This month it also offers brands such as Bramwell’s salad dressing and several private label products at half price or under.
The Alcohol Health Alliance, a coalition of organisations including charity Alcohol Concern and the Royal College of Physicians, has called for the current review of advertising rules to ban price based promotion of alcohol.
“Understandably in the current economic climate businesses need to be competitive and people are worried by living costs. However, alcohol is not an ordinary commodity like bread or milk,” says Alcohol Concern chief executive Don Shenker.
“Alcohol causes harm to the nation’s health and economy and there appears to be a strong link between cheap alcohol and the high levels of binge drinking in the UK, ” he adds.
A spokesman for Aldi says the supermarket promotes responsible drinking.
