This Alcohol Awareness Week is an important moment to talk openly about how we build healthier relationships with alcohol — not just at home, but in our communities, workplaces and venues. It’s a time to reflect on how we support our friends and family to drink responsibly and stay safe, and it’s also a reminder that retailers and hospitality businesses have a critical role to play in protecting the public.
At Serve Legal, we are passionate about helping businesses demonstrate their due diligence and meet their legal obligations through robust age verification testing and compliance audits. Our latest data shows encouraging improvements in some areas — but also highlights urgent gaps that must be addressed.
We are pleased to see that UK supermarkets continue to strengthen their alcohol compliance. Our latest audit results show an average pass rate of 79.8% across the sector for in-store alcohol age verification checks — a 5% increase since 2023.
This improvement demonstrates that regular test purchasing programmes, clear age check policies and ongoing staff training are making a real difference. Supermarkets are showing what’s possible when businesses take their responsibilities seriously and embed a strong compliance culture across their teams.
However, the picture is very different for alcohol delivery services:
Unlike in-store sales, home deliveries — whether fulfilled by supermarkets or rapid delivery providers — face extra challenges. Drivers often work alone, without CCTV or security, and can feel pressured to meet delivery targets quickly. This can make age checks harder to enforce and refusals more difficult.
These challenges highlight the need for stronger training, clear procedures, and better safeguards so that age checks at the doorstep are as robust as those at the till. The rapid growth of on-demand delivery must not come at the cost of young people’s safety.
Alcohol Awareness Week also reminds us that protecting customers goes beyond verifying age. Weeks like this are an opportunity to raise conversations not only about personal consumption and limits, but also about how businesses can create safer environments.
For retailers, hospitality venues and delivery companies, that means:
These steps help ensure that customers feel supported and protected — and that businesses demonstrate their commitment to safety and social responsibility.
As we mark Alcohol Awareness Week, we urge businesses of all sizes to make sure their policies, staff and partners are fully equipped to keep customers safe. Because convenience, speed and profit should never come at the expense of young people’s wellbeing.
At Serve Legal, we will continue working alongside businesses to help them meet their legal obligations, protect their customers and prove their diligence.
For more information about Serve Legal’s independent age verification audits, surveillance audits and test purchasing programmes, contact Serve Legal.