UK-Scotland: Retailers to be ''Real Losers'' in Scottish Tobacco Display Ban

Source from:  Talking Retail (uk)  12/13/2012

Scottish retailers will be the "real losers" when the tobacco display ban is implemented north of the border.

 

The Supreme Court today rejected a legal challenge by Imperial Tobacco against a tobacco display ban in Scotland.The tobacco company turned to the Supreme Court after an appeal against the display ban was rejected earlier this year by the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
 
The Scottish government plans to implement the display ban April 2013 in larger stores and supermarkets, with the ban being implemented in smaller stores under 3,000sq ft in 2015.
 
John Drummond, chief executive at the Scottish Grocers' Federation, said: "It is the retailers who are the real losers in this case; losers because they will have to find large sums of money in order to cover up the tobacco gantries that are currently in place.
 
"Scottish retailers are worse affected than the other countries in the UK due to the draconian measures imposed by the Scottish government, especially in relation to the available space allowed during any transaction.
 
"The probability of longer transaction times resulting in longer queues and disgruntled consumers may lead them to pursue cheaper purchases on the illicit market, where it may be easier to buy tobacco products which have either been imported illegally or are counterfeit products." Enditem