'It's a positive start' Cash & Carry operator



?The problem we have in this area is that the people carrying out these duty frauds are organised criminals and will try to find a way around the law or move onto something else, because that is what they do. But for now we are happy that the FWD campaign has had an impact in the trade. Beer sales have gone up since April but we can't be sure whether this will last or not, because of the type of characters involved in these scams. We we hope this is the start of something positive and, as the FWD said at the time, it will continue to keep a close eye on the market to ensure the new rules have the desired effect. It will be interesting to see what the situation is a year from now.

'Credit the suppliers' Delivered wholesaler and Cash & Carry operator



?April was a good month in terms of the weather, so naturally beer sales were up, but I am confident that the new legislation had the desired effect. Our beer sales were up more than we would have expected even with the good weather and this has continued through May when there was not as much sunshine. In total our beer sales are up 10% more than we would have expected. The new rules are bound to have helped, but I believe suppliers must also take some credit for controlling where they are selling to. Overall, some duty fraud will continue but the important thing is that it will be harder for people to get away with it than it was last year. While the situation with beer has improved wine is still a problem and this must be addressed.



'Beer sales will rise' Delivered Wholesaler



?It is still too early to say if the changes have had any impact. So far we have not noticed any significant improvement in beer sales, but then again we are not aware of any rogue traders operating in our area or targeting the retailers we deal with. I think the FWD's campaign is going to work. All the feedback we have had so far from it is that it has benefited the trade and I am reasonably confident the changes should have a long-term impact for wholesalers and beer sales will continue to rise in this sector. It is important that brand owners should also take responsibility in dealing with the market and exercise more control over where their products are distributed.

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