Supermarkets defy police

Press, 19 March 1985, Page 6

Supermarkets defy police

PA Wellington Woolworths Supermarkets yesterday defied police legal advice by launching its wine with beef promotion. The Wool worths promotion offered a 250 ml bottle of red wine to every customer buying 2kg of beef. Police lawyers yesterday considered the legal issues involved and decided the promotion contravened the provisions of section 262 of the Sale of Liquor Act, 1962. Prosecutions were likely to follow if “sales” continued, the police legal section advised Woolworths. But Woolworths’ assistant general manager of marketing, Mr Brian Isherwood, said last evening that the company applied last week to the High Court for a declaratory statement on

the legality of the promotion. “We have taken legal advice on the matter and are convinced the promotion is completely legal. “But to settle the matter, we are asking for a judgment from the High Court,” he said. The beef and red wine promotion would last until all 25,000 bottles of red wine had been given away at the Woolworths’ North Island supermarkets. The promotion has upset the Temperance Alliance, which says the introduction of the sale of wine in supermarkets would be a social catastrophe for the whole community. The group has called on every member of Parliament to oppose any proposal to enable the sale of wine, beer or spirits in supermarkets.