Ban will harm local business, have little to no impact on littering and encourage consumers to shop elsewhere
The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) sent a letter to Mayor Paul Heroux registering strong opposition to a proposed sales ban of small alcohol containers – 250 milliliters or less – in Attleboro, Massachusetts.
The proposed ban will get a public hearing tomorrow, October 6.
“We believe the proposed ban will be harmful to local businesses that continue to face hardships in the current environment, have little to no impact on the issue of litter and merely encourage customers to shop in other towns for the same products,” said Jay Hibbard, DISCUS Vice President of State Government Relations. “We urge [Mayor Heroux] and the members of the council to reject a ban in favor of a public/private partnership to address the issue of litter and cooperatively work with the local retail community to find common-sense solutions to making the streets of Attleboro cleaner without damaging the local economy.”
The letter also outlines some of the many reasons smaller containers are produced including:
- To provide customers with an opportunity to try a new product at a lower price point before committing to purchasing a larger and more expensive size;
- To introduce new product extensions to the marketplace, such as new flavors within a product or brand line or test the market acceptance of new products;
- To allow a customer to purchase a super-premium product at an affordable price point that may be economically out of reach in a larger, i.e. 750 milliliter, size;
- To use in recipes or cooking applications where small quantities are called for and a larger size purchase would be unnecessary.