Centra statement:
Centra takes that the sale and promotion of alcohol extremely seriously and has instructed the Centra retailers concerned to immediately withdraw the communication. This local promotion was in four Centra stores, two in Dublin (Courtney’s Centra East Wall and Fairview) Wicklow (Aherne’s Centra Kilcoole) and Offaly (Leavy’s Centra Tullamore).
This communication was not part of a national marketing plan or promotional strategy.
Centra fully understands that the abuse of alcohol is a serious issue in Irish society and apologises for the promotion, which although isolated to four stores, is contrary to Centra’s belief that retailers have a critical role to play in ensuring that alcohol is promoted and sold responsibly. Centra is today reminding all of its 459 retailers across the country to follow strict guidelines which are in place regarding the responsible promotion of alcohol.
As a community brand, we are acutely conscious of our corporate and social responsibilities. We accept that there is a problem with alcohol consumption, binge drinking and alcohol-related health and public order problems. We invest in the training of our staff, comply with the RRAI code and are very vigilant in ensuring compliance with the law.
We support current Government efforts to address the alcohol problem including the setting of a minimum price for the sale of alcohol. We also believe that the RRAI code should be put on a statutory footing and that stronger penalties should be in place for the sale of alcohol to minors and breaches of licensing laws, including the loss of licence for retailers.
This local promotion undermines our genuine commitment to take our social responsibilities regarding alcohol extremely seriously.
