The ever-present coffee chain is expanding its dominant position on the market by offering a range of beer and wine to its customers, alongside a wider choice of savoury nibbles such as flatbreads and cheese plates.

The move is intended to draw in a larger proportion of evening customers looking to relax after work.

Starbucks is currently testing the initiative at a series of select stores in Spain and the US, where Burger King is already experimenting with the sale of in-store alcohol.

There are no plans as yet to bring alcohol to UK shops, although it may be on the cards if schemes in other countries are successful.

More at: http://www.stylist.co.uk/life/starbucks-to-sell-wine#image-rotator-1

Alcohol Concern is calling for alcohol marketing to be banned from social networking sites to protect young people.

Thirty-seven per cent of 13- to 15-year-olds surveyed had seen photos of their friends drunk on social networking sites.

Thirty-seven per cent of 13- to 15-year-olds surveyed had seen photos of their friends drunk on social networking sites.

Its report, New Media, New Problem, says the risk of children and young people being exposed to alcohol promotion is too high.  The charity also wants to see drinks firms crack down on unauthorised use of their logos on social networking sites. 

Website developers need to do more to restrict access to alcohol-related content, says the charity, which labels the use of age affirmation pages as “ineffective”. Click here to find out more!  The report includes a survey of young people on their exposure to alcohol marketing and promotion on social networking sites. 

This found that 37 per cent of 13- to 15-year-olds had seen photos of their friends drunk on social networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube.  It also emerged that a quarter of eight- to 11-year-olds who are aware of social network sites have a user profile, even though the minimum age for many is 13.  

Alcohol Concern chief executive Don Shenker said: “The alcohol industry has very effectively taken advantage of internet technology as a means of promoting its products. Most of the leading drinks companies have a presence on Facebook or Twitter, plus their own websites, which often contain content likely to be attractive to young people, such as games and videos, competitions and prizes.  “There’s a real danger of children and young people being exposed to alcohol marketing on such sites, particularly given that age verification mechanisms are largely ineffective.” 

The Portman Group, a responsible drinking organisation set up by the drinks industry, has criticised the report.  The group’s head of external affairs Sarah Hanratty said: “It is entirely misleading to suggest that alcohol marketing is being targeted at under-18s. The UK already has some of the strictest rules in place around digital media to prevent alcohol being marketed to children or in a way that might appeal to them.    “It is perfectly legitimate for drinks companies to use social media to market their products to adult consumers provided there are clear safeguards in place, which there are.”