A ban on ‘all you can drink’ promotions in pubs and bars and on certain supermarket discounts are among a range of new measures announced today by British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Health Secretary Alan Johnson.Following an independent review, which reportedly discovered a number of retailers not abiding by their own voluntary standards for responsible selling and marketing of alcohol, the government intends to introduce a new mandatory code of practice to target “the most... ...Read more »

The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) has labelled the latest action by the Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia (DSICA) in delivering look-alike alcopop products to Government Members and Senators, as nothing more than a cynical media stunt. The WFA is supporting attempts to close the loophole that allows the overseas practice of manufacturing so called ‘wine-pops’ and ‘malternatives’ by using alcohol stripped from wine or beer and selling them at... ...Read more »

American households without children spent considerably more on vitamins, liquor and wine than the average American household during the 52 weeks ending June 28, 2008, according to Nielsen data.’Households’ are often considered to be conventional families with children but the number of households without children has grown considerably over the last couple of decades. In Australia, couples without children are expected to outnumber couples with children at some point within the next... ...Read more »

Pub owners are enhancing their food offering to counter the impact of smoking bans and falling consumer demand on gaming revenues and patronage, according to a recent survey. A survey by Colliers International of pub/hotel operators in October discovered that gaming had taken a hit in the past year, with operators strengthening their food offering to make up for the lost revenue and improve their revenue mix. The survey found bar sales remained the key to most businesses, with gaming trailing in... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil Chief Executive Terry Davis has told a business congress in Sydney this morning that he believes Lion Nathan will struggle to up the bid that CCA believes undervalues their worth. Last week CCA, Australia’s largest soft drink bottler, advised that they would fend off the $7.6b bid made by Lion Nathan - Australia’s second largest brewer. Mr Davis claimed the bid was flawed and “half-baked” and argued that the bid undervalues the company and could hurt CCA shareholders,... ...Read more »

Lion Nathan Chief Executive, Rob Murray, has advised that Australia’s second largest brewer is likely to drop their bid for Coca-Cola Amatil if it cannot be made on amiable terms. The offer, which was announced to shareholders by Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) last Monday, values CCA at upwards of $7.6b. It has, however, been met with disapproval from their major shareholder (The Coca-Cola Company), the CCA Board and CCA CEO Terry Davis - who dismissed it as a “flawed” bid. “Let’s... ...Read more »

A loophole in the tax on RTD (ready to drink) alcohol products is to be cut off by the Federal Government, according to reports. The RTD or ‘alcopop’ tax was introduced in May as concerns about binge drinking escalated. Since then Independent Distillers has produced a product called ‘Bolt’, which has exploited a loophole in the new tax arrangements by using the alcohol from beer to create a so-called ‘malternative’. The product tastes very similar to many alcopops... ...Read more »

Despite a fragile economy, American consumers continue to see alcoholic beverages as an affordable indulgence. The Nielsen Company offers its outlook on alcoholic beverage trends as the critical holiday season approaches: Restaurants and Bars Hurting With consumers staying in and entertaining at home more often, the on-premise sector - restaurants, bars and nightclubs - is facing serious challenges. Consumers are going out to eat less often, as evidenced by a recent Nielsen survey, where two-thirds... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) Chief Executive Terry Davis is not likely to change his mind about the current $7.6b takeover bid tabled by Lion Nathan, believing it to be “half-baked”. He has left the door open to a deal, however, with the right conditions. CCA told shareholders on Monday that Lion Nathan had launched an unsolicited takeover bid for Australia’s largest bottler of soft drinks, in an endeavour to create Australia’s largest beverage company. Coca-Cola Amatil informed... ...Read more »

The Board of Coca-Cola Amatil has decided to fend off the takeover offer made by Lion Nathan, believing it not to be in the best interests of their shareholders. Yesterday they noted “material deficiencies” in the offer made by Lion Nathan, which valued Australia’s largest soft drink bottler at around 10.8 x FY2008 earnings (or about $7.6b). The Board’s main concern is that the price to earnings multiple value of 10.8 is below the other major beverage deals made in Oceania... ...Read more »