Convenience stores are winning battle against under-age purchasing, says new report

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

Regular test purchasing is helping convenience stores to pass the under-age test with steady improvements in performance year on year, according to new findings out today.

Regular testing of sales procedures at convenience stores to ensure that staff are enforcing age-check policies when alcohol and cigarettes are purchased is leading to more sites regularly achieving pass rates, according to Serve Legal, the UK's leading independent test purchasing company.

During the last three years, there has been a steady rise in the number of passes and positive feedback achieved by convenience stores - notably amongst those that have adopted 'best practice' policies - and seen a significant closing of the gap with supermarkets, which have traditionally been better when it comes to checkout staff requesting customer ID to prevent under-age sales.

A Serve Legal test purchase is a 'pass' if its mystery visitor is required to provide official ID to complete the purchase of alcohol or cigarettes. Outlets 'fail' if the visitor is able to make a purchase without being asked to show ID.

Latest figures from Serve Legal show that overall the convenience sector achieved a pass rate of 75% when it came to alcohol testing for the first six months of 2010, from 5,389 visits.

This compares with a pass rate of 65% in 2008, from 3,092 visits; and 72% in 2009, from 9,020 visits.

In comparison, the pass rate for supermarkets over the same period was 69% in 2008 (9,443 visits); 71% in 2009 (10,446 visits), and 78% for the first six months of 2010 (4,568 visits).

On the purchase of cigarettes, during the first six months of 2010, convenience stores achieved a pass rate of 71% from 309 visits. This represented a big jump forward from 2009, when stores achieved a pass rate of only 55% from 787 visits. Testing of the convenience sector only started in 2009, so there are no figures available before this.

As a comparison, during the first six months of this year, supermarkets achieved a pass rate of 78% from 536 visits. In 2009, supermarkets had a pass rate of 72% from 1,479 visits.

Charlie Mowat, director of Serve Legal, said that overall, convenience stores were once perceived as easier targets for under-age shoppers. But that the latest results, driven by independent shops which have adopted 'best practice,' are proving themselves to be as vigilant and proficient at stopping underage sales as most supermarkets.

Mowat said: "The biggest driver for under-age shoppers when it comes buying alcohol or cigarettes is whether or not they think they'll be served and get away with it. The one concern we would flag up is that as many convenience stores become more professional, young kids will shift their focus to those operators that don't match up and demonstrate 'best practice'."

He said regular testing had a key role to play in the improvement, together with increased management focus, and better, more effective training of sales staff.

"From our experience, individual company and site performance improves due to a number of factors - awareness amongst staff that they are being randomly tested, increased focus from management on under-age legislation, and also specific actions suggested from our reports and analysis.

"These days asking for ID is also linked to good customer service. Our test results highlight that where a cashier engages with the visitor with eye contact and conversation, the pass rate is much higher."

Source: Serve Legal