This article is from page 8 of the 2009-01-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
ONE prominent Ennis pub plans to beat the bust by drastically cutting alcohol prices.
In a move aimed at stimulating business in the traditionally quiet month of January, the cost of a drink at the Queen’s Hotel is set to fall by 30 per cent.
The price reduction will be in ef- fect until the end of January. “We had a reasonable Christmas and we wanted to give something back. It 1s
something we wanted to do to try and stimulate the market,’ said a spokes- man for the Queen’s.
He added, “As everyone knows Jan- uary 1s typically a quiet month and, given the worries that are out there are the moment we expect to be qui- eter than normal.”
Job losses and the effects of the credit crunch mean consumers are likely to be more cautious about how they spend their money.
“You’re getting a situation where people are going out less. People are
worried about credit card bills. You might have a household where there is one less job. So this year is going to be harder. But we think that this will stimulate more business,” said the spokesperson
The move may be good news for consumers but it may spark a price war in the Ennis bar trade that could potentially make for a very competi- tive business environment.
“It certainly will be very competi- tive around Ennis, that’s for sure. By taking these kind of actions there is
the possibility that you could cre- ate a price war,’ added the Queen’s spokesperson.
The move by the Queen’s comes a month after the Vintner’s Federation of Ireland and the Licensed Vintner’s Association announced a year long freeze on drink prices.
At the time, the VFI and the LVA said they urging members to intro- duce the price scheme “in light of the deteriorating economic situation and the growing pressure on consumer spending”.