SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An analysis of three years worth of data from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) shows that the vast majority of alcohol sales to minors occur at locations other than the full-service supermarkets and specialty grocers that use assisted self-checkout stands.
The examination of disciplinary actions from January 1, 2008 to March 11, 2011, all public data found on the ABC website, shows that the ABC filed almost 2,300 accusations against off-sale license holders (which include supermarkets and liquor stores) throughout California for selling alcohol to minors.
Of these accusations, fewer than 7 percent were lodged against specialty grocery stores and “big box” retailers, most of which do not yet use assisted self-checkout technology.
Large, chain supermarkets that do increasingly use assisted self-checkout stands accounted for less than 4 percent of the accusations. Fresh & Easy stores, which use only self-checkout stands, accounted for only 2 accusations.
“These numbers show that Assembly Bill 183 (Ma), which would ban the sale of alcohol at self checkout stands, really is a solution in search of a problem,” said Ron Fong, President and CEO of the California Grocers Association. “There is no hard evidence that minors are standing in line to buy alcohol at large supermarket self-checkout stands. The real problem continues to be minors asking adults to buy them alcohol from small stores.”
The release of this data comes on the heels of the recent State Senate Committee analysis of AB 183, which also highlighted that “ABC staff indicates that they have no evidence of any problems associated with minors purchasing alcoholic beverages through self-service checkouts.”
“Stores that use self-checkouts have solid protections in place to prevent minors from attempting to purchase alcohol considering that the current technology requires an attendant to approve alcohol-related transactions,” Fong continued.
As the Los Angeles Times opined recently, AB 183 “might save some union jobs, there is little evidence that it would reduce underage drinking.” (Los Angeles Times, June 6, 2011)
For a copy of the full ABC report, please visit www.cagrocers.com/governmentrelations.asp.
The California Grocers Association is a non-profit trade association representing the food industry since 1898 and represents approximately 500 retail members operating over 6,000 stores in California and Nevada.