Don't blame us: Asda responds to Dump the Deals campaign

It was way back in October that The Publican first put calls out to the big four supermarkets - Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons.

Like their readers they wanted answers - answers to how The Big 4 could justify selling alcohol at below-cost prices, how they accounted for the promotions in their stores which could be fuelling the supposed binge-drinking culture for which pubs are, more often than not, blamed.

Asda alcohol buyer Ged Futter and spokesman Ed Watson replied and talked about everything from loss-leading alcohol prices to measures taken to foster responsible retailing.

They acknowledged the retailer's role in selling alcohol responsibly, but stopped short of admitting the dangers of selling alcohol as cheaply as Asda actually does.

They attempted with many comments to absolve Asda of any guilt. The supermarket's Retail Link point-of-sale software tracks sales and has identified that alcohol purchases usually form part of a standard weekly shop, according to Watson. Instead, he shifted blame to other parties - customers, independent off-licences and the on-trade.

Full story on: www.thepublican.com