Alcohol is not allowed on the Internet – Kommersant FM

Retail chains opposed the legalization of online sales of alcohol, as they fear the growth of the illegal market, because counterfeit goods cannot be found in stores, and risks are possible on the Internet. A letter from the Association of Retail Trade Companies was sent to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, writes RBC. The organization states that there are no mechanisms to block the sale of illegal alcohol in the online segment yet. Last year alone, almost 7 thousand resources offering to deliver alcohol became unavailable. At the same time, the number of so-called mirrors increased by 70%, and all this before the adoption of the law.

Are retailers’ fears justified? Director of the Center for Research of Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets Vadim Drobiz believes that retail chains are afraid of losing part of their revenue:

“It is unknown what amendments to the bill will be adopted. I do not rule out that the networks were removed from there as participants in this process. After all, they initially said that marketplaces should get maximum opportunities. I do not rule out that retailers do not want to lose profits and understand that it is useless for them to compete with such sites.

However, in fact, a small amount of sales goes online, maybe 5-6%. In Europe, these figures are within 10-12%, somewhere around 15%. But this is mostly not cheap alcohol, but rather expensive or mid-price category. Therefore, one way or another, the consumer of this service will be a representative of the middle class.

So the networks simply do not want to part with even those small shares that provide profit today.

The fact is that around 2020-2021, the youth demographic crisis, which lasted about 12 years, ended. And now we are in a state of crisis in the population group of approximately 32 to 47 years old, and these are the main consumers of strong and premium alcohol. One way or another, we are doomed to reduce the consumption of such products in the next 10 years.”

The ABC of Taste did not sign the retailers’ appeal; the company does not agree with the association’s position and is confident that the legalization of online trading will reduce the share of illegal alcohol.

At the same time, market players will not lose anything, says the head of the Association of Internet Trade Companies Artem Sokolov:

“We have stepped forward so much that all technologies are available. They allow you to control the age of the buyer, time and place of sale. The only question is the choice of this technology. You can authorize a user, for example, through “State Services”, and understand whether he is an adult or not.

So in this regard, to be honest, I don’t see any risks or any difficulties in terms of how to organize this. Rather, on the contrary, it is quite a serious barrier to entry into the market, so that no one will be able to get into it.

Businesses are worried about losing the market. But in no country in the world have civilized players lost their share. Everyone does their own thing: delivery delivers, sellers sell.”

Distance selling of alcohol has been discussed in Russia for the last few years. The next bill may be submitted to the State Duma in the autumn session.

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Ivan Koryakin