Countdown’s alcohol problem

Stuff reports:

A supermarket in Auckland’s Grey Lynn is the latest in a spate of Countdowns caught in a police booze sting.

From April 11, the popular Williamson Ave store will be going dry for five days.

In October 2015, the store sold alcohol to a minor, the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority ruled.

I’m pleased to see strong penalties for breaches. I’ve advocated that we need better enforcement of existing laws rather than new laws.

And there is really no excuse for selling to a minor. If they look under 25 or under 30, you ask for ID – simple.

Progressive Enterprises has suffered license a variety of alcohol related suspensions and fines across its 183 New Zealand Countdown stores.

In August, 2015, Its Dunedin central supermarket lost its alcohol license for three days after illegally over-discounting alcohol.

In January 2015, Countdown Takapuna copped a seven-day alcohol sale ban after it lost its High Court appeal after serving a visibly drunk man caught on CCTV. …

Going back to 2011, the chain has had 21 alcohol license suspensions around New Zealand.

In 2015 a judge said Countdown’s repeated breaches showed systemic failures to stop underage alcohol sales.

This does suggest a possible systematic problem.

I don’t know the stats for New World, but they seem to have very few license suspensions.