The Association of Convenience Stores has launched new age-restricted sales guidance for home delivery drivers.
The guidance aims to advise them on how to approach the delivery and refusal of age-restricted goods such as on alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes and lottery products. It comprises a step-by-step guide of the various actions drivers must take to ensure they are only delivering to customers aged 18 and over.
This includes establishing whether any of the delivered products are age-restricted, utilising the Challenge 25 policy for deliveries, and the kinds of identification that are accepted at the point of delivery, as well as the refusal of delivery and how that should be reported back to the business.
The trade body has designed the guide so it can be viewed on mobile phones as a quick reference.
“Convenience store retailers have a proven track record of promoting responsible retailing through the use of the Challenge 25 policy for all age-restricted products,” said ACS CEO James Lowman.
“With home delivery becoming more common in our sector, it’s important that the delivery drivers understand their responsibilities and have the confidence to enforce a robust age-restricted sales policy at the door – not just those who work directly for convenience stores, but also third party delivery partners.”
Figures from its 2021 Local Shop Report show that 22% of convenience retailers offer some form of local grocery delivery service, with many using colleagues in store or their own drivers to deliver goods to customers.
The new guidance has been assured by Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards as part of ACS’ wider Assured Advice scheme.
Michele Manson, business team leader at Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards, said: “We all want to see that the right product goes to the right people and the last line of defence in the chain for supplying age-restricted products rests at the point of delivery.
“Where delivery drivers ensure that the recipient is an appropriate age they are actively protecting young people. This simple check reduces the opportunity for errors or deliberate attempts to bypass other controls.”
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