Publicans have called on the Co-op to pull a “disgraceful” TV advert that urges the supermarket’s customers to watch the Euro 2024 football tournament at home rather than going to the pub.
The Co-op Food ad says it is hard to see the TV screen in the pub and suggests customers instead “stay in” and take advantage of a beer and pizza deal the supermarket is promoting.
Publicans responded furiously, accusing the Co-op of going against its much-vaunted ethical credentials by deliberately targeting an industry that is already struggling.
In a letter to Co-op’s chief executive, Shirine Khoury-Haq, the Campaign for Pubs group said people in the hospitality sector were “deeply angry” about the advert.
“You and your management team must surely be aware of what a challenging time it is for pubs and publicans, yet here you are, a supposedly ethical business, openly and deliberately undermining pubs and publicans’ livelihoods at this difficult time,” it wrote.
“At the time when businesses in England should be uniting in support of the national football team, the Co-op has instead cynically and shamelessly sought to attack another important business sector to try to boost your own profits from the tournament. It really goes against everything that the Co-op movement stands for. Who on earth thought this was an acceptable thing to do?”
The group called on Khoury-Haq to remove the “utterly crass and divisive” advert and apologise to publicans.
The British Institute of Innkeeping and the beer enthusiasts’ group Camra have also criticised the ad. The BII’s chief executive, Steve Alton, told the Morning Advertiser it was “incredibly disappointing”, and Camra’s chief executive, Tom Stainer, said he hoped the supermarket would not run it again.
Supermarkets performed well during the pandemic, but the pub trade was badly hit by lengthy forced closures, which have had a lasting effect on an industry already battling decline.
More than 500 pubs closed in the UK last year, according to the British Beer & Pub Association, with many struggling to pay punishing rent and energy bills and the effect of the cost of living crisis on customers’ spending.
Supermarkets also benefit from lower overheads on alcohol because they have much lower staff costs and can sell at artificially low prices as a “loss leader” to bring customers in, who then buy other products.
A Co-op spokesperson said: “The 10 second advert is a light-hearted way of highlighting to our members and customers that, if they have made the choice to stay in to watch the football, we have a cracking pizza and beer deal they can purchase to enjoy in their homes, with the sole intention of providing great value on relevant products which customers tell us they want, especially at a time when the cost of living is high”.
