BI-LO and Anheuser-Busch Partner to Help Fight Underage Drinking
Training and ID-Checking Program to be Implemented in Area Stores
Chattanooga, Tenn. (Nov. 19, 2008) — “No sale.” That’s what minors who try to purchase alcohol at area BI-LO stores will hear thanks to a new training program. Today during a press conference at the Super BI-LO in Hixson, BI-LO, Anheuser-Busch and its local distributors announced they have joined forces to implement the We ID program to help prevent minors from purchasing alcohol. This program will enhance current efforts by BI-LO employees to restrict underage alcohol sales by further training employees to ensure alcohol sales at BI-LO stores are conducted properly and remind adults who choose to drink to do so responsibly.
“BI-LO is on the front line of preventing sales to minors, and as your hometown grocery store, we’re dedicated to looking out for our customers and our community,” says Daryl Massey, District Manager, BI-LO. “By working together with Anheuser-Busch and its local wholesalers to further train our employees and distribute ID-checking materials, we’re making a difference in preventing youth access to alcohol.”
We ID is Anheuser-Busch’s comprehensive underage drinking prevention program used by retailers that reminds consumers who purchase alcohol they will be asked to show valid identification. The program elements include signage in alcohol displays and coolers and We ID stickers worn by cashiers. A key component of the program is the enhanced training BI-LO employees receive through instructional videos and on-site reference materials on how to check and verify valid IDs.
“We’re proud to support BI-LO stores across the region in their ongoing commitment to abiding by the law and keeping our communities safe,” says Carol Huebner, senior manager of Corporate Social Responsibility, Anheuser-Busch. “By working together, we can prevent alcohol sales to minors and also remind adults who choose to drink to do so responsibly.”
In addition to the We ID materials and signage, Anheuser-Busch also is providing BI-LO customers with complimentary Great Party Guides, which features tips on entertaining responsibly. BI-LO is highlighting all of the partnership efforts on its in-store TV network, in ads and on its Web site.
“We’re pleased to be working with Anheuser-Busch, its distributors and BI-LO on this important initiative aimed at preventing youth access to alcohol and helping keep Tennessee teens, and everyone driving our highways, safe,” says Kendell Poole, director of the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office. “By working together as civic leaders in our communities, we can truly make a difference.” The We ID partnership has also received support from the Chattanooga City Council.
Anheuser-Busch distributors supporting the program are Beasley Distributing Co., Dalton Beverage Co., L&H Distributing Co., and Tarver Distributing Co.
About BI-LO
BI-LO, headquartered in Mauldin, South Carolina, operates 223 supermarkets in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee and employs approximately 17,200 people. The company sponsors the annual BI-LO Charity Classic golf tournament each June. The BI-LO Charity Classic has raised more than $45 million in the past 25 years, with grant funding focused on children’s charities, hunger relief and education. The 2007 tournament contributed more than $165,000 to charitable organizations in the Charleston area.
About Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch is the global industry leader in promoting responsibility. Since 1982, the company and its nationwide network of 600 wholesalers have invested more than $750 million in national advertising campaigns and community-based programs to promote responsible drinking and prevent alcohol abuse. In 2008, for the fifth year in a row, the company ranked first in the beverage industry for social responsibility in FORTUNE magazine’s “America’s Most Admired Companies” and “Global Most Admired Companies.” For more information on these efforts and the progress being made, visit www.beeresponsible.com.