Strong beer in stores is not a good idea, the beverage industry believes. A round of consultations among breweries and Beverages Association members revealed that there is little support among its members for the proposal to allow the sale of products by up to 7 percent alcohol.
It will be difficult for local beer producers to gain market access, CEO Petter Nome says.The competition gets harder and harder. The small companies will be the losers if the sale is to be moved from Vinmonopolet to the grocery, he said at the hearing of the committee on health and care services in Stortinget on Thursday.
Strong beer in grocery stores will undermine the position of Vinmonopolet and the range of products will be smaller, General Ingunn Jordheim in Wine and spirits suppliers’ association pointed out. Also, the shops are worse than Vinmonopolet in checking that they do not sell alcohol to minors, she added.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today