Buying into the enemy within.

(From Off Licence News)

Being caught out by a test purchase organised by your own employers may be the off-trade equivalent of being shot down by friendly fire. But with the stakes so high in drinks retailing and Trading Standards stings costing stores thousands of pounds and even their licences, many retail groups have decided to carry out their own covert checks on their staff.

A few years ago, in-house test purchasing was remarkable enough to impress judges in OLN's Responsible Drinks Retailing Awards and virtually secure the top prize. By the time of this year's judging, it had become the norm. David Sands, the Scottish convenience group, regards it as "critical". Operations director Stephen Brown explains the practice combines a bit of carrot and a bit of stick. "Failure to ask for proof of age from mystery test purchasers, who are under 21, is deemed a disciplinary matter resulting in a warning being given along with immediate refresher training," he says.

"Members of staff correctly asking for proof of age are rewarded with a AGBP50 voucher." Sands has been operating a test purchase system for some years and was even asked by Fife Constabulary to help with the launch of the Scottish test purchasing pilot scheme.

Capper & Co, which owns and operates more than 100 Spar stores in Wales and south west England, has teamed up with Coors to run in-house test purchasing. The company's Rick Wheeler says: "We believe in telling people when they have got something right, as well as when it is wrong, and rewarding them in some way. Even if it is the expected norm, we all like to be thanked and receive some recognition for a job well done - words sometimes are not enough.

"Each employee will receive a certificate of competency and a small gift after successfully passing an internal test purchase." Thresher has recently started its own test purchasing. Philip Loring, head of central operations, says the group has enlisted the help of an external company to carry out the programme. "We believe in rewarding staff for getting it right," he explains. "In January we introduced a cash store bonus of AGBP20 for staff who correctly challenge a test purchaser - either our own internal company ones or those carried out by police and Trading Standards.

"We are very proud of the fact that to date we have paid out over AGBP10,000 in staff 'get it right' bonuses." It might also be noted that Thresher is currently challenging 55,000 sales a month and refusing ...