The Irish Wine Association has called on the government to reverse excise on alcohol in the forthcoming Budget, stating that the total excise paid to revenue is now €14,640 higher per 1,000 cases of wine than it was in 2012. "Draconian excise hikes have meant that since 2011, the tax take from a standard €9 bottle of wine has increased from 39% to 54%," said Michael Foley, chairman of the Irish Wine Association and marketing director at Findlater Wine & Spirits. "This impacts on the cash flow of Irish wine importers and distributors, as many have to pay excise as an up-front cost."
Retail Ireland has said that the latest CSO sales figures, for July 2015, are 'encouraging', and has suggested that 'the retail recovery is beginning to take hold following anaemic growth over the last 12 months'. Retail sales values, excluding bars and car sales, increased by 2.2% in year to the end of July. "Overall the performance of the retail sector during July has been positive," said Retail Ireland director Thomas Burke. "It's crucial that this momentum is not lost."
The Irish Independent reports that Diageo is trialling a new, non-alcoholic version of Guinness stout in Asia. In a bid to combat excessive alcohol consumption, Guinness Zero has been rolled out in Indonesia. Diageo Ireland told the paper that there are no plans to launch the product here.
Aldi has unveiled a range of kitchen utensils, which will be available in its stores from Thursday 10th September. The range includes a Slow Cooker, priced at €14.99, a Mini Food Processor, priced at €22.99, a Panini Press (€16.99), a Hot Water Urn (€59.99) and a 3 in 1 Hand Blender (€17.99), as well as a range of pots and pans.
Auctioneers say that they have received ‘a number of good bids’ for Monaghan Shopping Centre. The Northern Sound reported that auctioneers have received a number of good bids to date for the shopping centre, which is situated in the heart of the town. Auctioneers DTZ Sherry Fitzgerald says that it is only assessing bids that meet the guide price of €10 million euro.
Businessman Jim Treacy, the former owner of the five star golf resort, Lough Erne has set his sights on regaining control of SuperValu’s flagship store in Churchtown, Dublin, which he previously owned. According to the Irish Independent, Tracey is ‘in talks’ with Musgrave, which took over the running of the store after it fell into receivership in 2011.
Officers from the Revenue’s Customs Service have seized almost 45,000 cigarettes and 22.5kgs of unstamped tobacco and cigars in Wexford and Wicklow. The seized products have a total retail value of €31,000 and include big tobacco brands such as ‘John Player Blue’ and ‘L&M’. The products were seized from two houses, one in Arklow and one Wicklow, as part of a specific joint operation with An Garda Siochana.
McDonalds Ireland has added a new burger to its menu that uses Charleville cheese and Ballymaloe Relish. The McMór will be available in 88 McDonalds stores around Ireland for a six-week period only and will also feature Irish beef and bacon sourced from Dawn Valley and Dew Valley respectively.
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