Think 25 Alcohol Retailing

I've recently started working for Morrisons, who are (as far as I know), the strictest in respect of alcohol retailing. We operate Think 25 (as opposed to Think 21) and Group IDs. This means;

If you look under 25, you should be ID'd
If you're in a group, all of your group should be ID'd if they are suspected of being uner 25.
If you're in a group and your group has split up (ie some of you have left the store or you have gone to different tills), you will either be brought back together and ID'd or refused (if you refuse to come back together)

Morrisons argue that it's to prevent underage purchasing, and purchasing for those who are underage, and personally I think it's a fantastic idea. If you've got nothing to hie you've got nothing to fear.

I had a girl refused yesterday because she denied being part of a group who had left the store. My manager had seen them pass her money and then leave. She denied it, so she was refused.

Opinions?

Reply 1

Introspectre

Morrisons tend to be completely over the top. The other week I was ID'd for one of those peanut bars (heeeeaveeen) because I said hello to the girl in front of me in the queue who was buying alcohol. I didn't have any with me so I had to go and get it out the car, which seemed a bit ridiculous.

Reply 2

Sophi*

I think the policy may have gone a bit far. My friend and I were in Tesco shopping for drink and we had her little sister with us. She is 8 years old... and they wouldnt serve us. Which was totally ridiculous.

Reply 3

h82think

14

No it should not be raised to 25!

Reply 4

BurningSnowman

1

Hehe, a certain major supermarket failed to ID me at all the other day. I'm 18 but probably look underage, so I thought it was quite nice. I'm sure their managers would feel the same. :p:

Reply 5

Spotty Dog

OP

15

SophieWenham

I think the policy may have gone a bit far. My friend and I were in Tesco shopping for drink and we had her little sister with us. She is 8 years old... and they wouldnt serve us. Which was totally ridiculous.

That is ridiculas. :P I won't ID a family together (unless some of them are clearly around the 15/16/17 mark an alcohol that is more likely to be for them is being purchased - Alcopops, lager etc)

Reply 6

Donald Duck

15

I think it's totally overdone, rediculous, etc. Even though the UK has one of the strictest legislations in western europe, they also have the most binge drinking youth.

Reply 7

HJV

16

I used to ID whole groups at work but stopped after concluding it's pointless.

If you refuse to sell to them, in 5 minutes the older one in the group will be on another till happily buying his beer.

Reply 8

Spotty Dog

OP

15

BurningSnowman

Hehe, a certain major supermarket failed to ID me at all the other day. I'm 18 but probably look underage, so I thought it was quite nice. I'm sure their managers would feel the same. :p:

I ID everyone I suspect. We've been hit several times in the last few months by trading standards. I don't want to lose my job. :P

Reply 9

AnythingButChardonnay

14

Now this really is pathetic.

Did you hear about the 23-year-old woman in Tesco who tried buying Jack Daniels' BBQ sauce which was 2% but she didn't have ID. So her friend, who was was 30 and had ID tried buying it for her and the cashier said "No. I can't sell you it because I know know you're buying it for her"

Can you really blame me for not wanting to live here any more? I think this country is very, very sick.

Reply 10

Kolya

17

TGI Friday have a Think 30 policy.

Reply 11

Spotty Dog

OP

15

HJV

If you refuse to sell to them, in 5 minutes the older one in the group will be on another till happily buying his beer.

At Morrisons, we have ways and means of avoiding this; Every ID refusal is checked by a manager before the refused leaves the store, so if they come back we are aware of them and can refuse them again.

The young lady I refused last night attempted to buy alcohol twice after my refusal and was turned down both times.

Reply 12

BurningSnowman

1

Spotty Dog

That is ridiculas. :P I won't ID a family together (unless some of them are clearly around the 15/16/17 mark an alcohol that is more likely to be for them is being purchased - Alcopops, lager etc)

Surely buying 'for them' gets a bit blurred in a family context, i.e. 15yos can drink happily in private under supervision?

I completely agree with you being cautious though, I'd probably ask anyone under 40 in the same position! Aren't there supposedly fines on the table too?

Reply 13

Oh-No!

10

Yeah i think Tesco is ridiculous.... they are way to strict... my mum wouldn't be able to buy alcohol if i was with her incase i was going to drink it! (well of course i'm not *wink*) We don't have that problem in other supermarkets, just tesco.

We do think 21 in sainsbury's, and the group ID's. None of them seem to be popular. My favourite saying i've heard is "I've been 18 for 4 weeks now and you still need my ID!"

Reply 14

Spotty Dog

OP

15

BurningSnowman

Surely buying 'for them' gets a bit blurred in a family context, i.e. 15yos can drink happily in private under supervision?

I completely agree with you being cautious though, I'd probably ask anyone under 40 in the same position! Aren't there supposedly fines on the table too?

As far as we're concerned, it's unlawful to purchase alcohol for those who are underage, no matter where they drink it. So, we refuse.

The fines are £80 on the spot, and I think (off the top of my head), it's £5,000 personal if it goes to court and £20,000 business (as well as loss of off license)

Oh-No!

We do think 21 in sainsbury's, and the group ID's. None of them seem to be popular. My favourite saying i've heard is "I've been 18 for 4 weeks now and you still need my ID!"

Oh yeah. And "You must be kidding?!" "Errr, no. Now, have you got ID or not?"

Reply 15

ch0c0h01ic

18

AnythingButChardonnay

Now this really is pathetic.

Did you hear about the 23-year-old woman in Tesco who tried buying Jack Daniels' BBQ sauce which was 2% but she didn't have ID. So her friend, who was was 30 and had ID tried buying it for her and the cashier said "No. I can't sell you it because I know know you're buying it for her"

Can you really blame me for not wanting to live here any more? I think this country is very, very sick.

I was denied the right to buy a small 200g bag of Whiskey Truffles in Thorntons when i was in fact 18 (didn't have my ID). Again, very very low alcohol content, small quantity and i was turned away.

They did a study on TV, and to consume sufficient alcohol from alcoholic truffles to actually be over the drink drive limit they had to eat several kilos of chocolates. Far cry from my 200g.

Reply 16

Sophi*

Oh-No!

Yeah i think Tesco is ridiculous.... they are way to strict... my mum wouldn't be able to buy alcohol if i was with her incase i was going to drink it! (well of course i'm not *wink*) We don't have that problem in other supermarkets, just tesco.

We do think 21 in sainsbury's, and the group ID's. None of them seem to be popular. My favourite saying i've heard is "I've been 18 for 4 weeks now and you still need my ID!"

I kinda get what you mean about Tesco.. they have a think 30 policy there and so I always get ID'd. When we buy drink from Waitrose we never get ID'd.. this is convienient in that I dont have get my ID out each time.. but quite bad as I do not look my age.. probably about 15/16 so.. if I dont get asked for ID.. that must mean other young people can get away with it there.

Reply 17

Oh-No!

10

We had an ID fest the other week on the kiosk.... in about 15 minutes we refused 3 people cigarettes and alcohol! Not one of them was happy, one went out the door shouting :biggrin:

Reply 18

Bassoonery

I work in Sainsbury's and we operate Think 25 as well, but I haven't heard of group ID's. It's a good idea from the shop's point of view- the penalties if they're caught selling to anyone underage are very severe, but some of the cases seem over the top really. I'm just glad I'm not on checkouts so I don't have to decide!

Reply 19

Oh-No!

10

Bassoonery

I work in Sainsbury's and we operate Think 25 as well, but I haven't heard of group ID's. It's a good idea from the shop's point of view- the penalties if they're caught selling to anyone underage are very severe, but some of the cases seem over the top really. I'm just glad I'm not on checkouts so I don't have to decide!

I thought all Sainsbury's stores did think 21... are they trialling Think 25?

Oh, and i thought chocolate with alcohol in was 16? It is in sainsbury's.

Think 25 Alcohol Retailing

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