Fuel industry pushes for alcohol display bans nationwide, forcing small stores to bear massive compliance costs.
Unprecedented Proposal for Alcohol Sales
The fuel industry, responding to proposals to ban alcohol sales at gas stations, has decided to go all-in and is pushing for “without-display” alcohol sales throughout all retail. This solution is unprecedented in Europe and deeply impractical for small and medium-sized stores.
Significant Financial Burden
Without-display alcohol sales require more than just placing bottles behind a screen. Store owners will face numerous real costs including producing and installing partitions, remodeling stores and back areas, creating price catalogs, longer customer service times, and higher staffing costs.
Small Stores Cannot Afford Compliance
Small neighborhood stores lack both the space and financial resources for these changes. With current declining sales (down 3% in value and 12% in transactions in the first half of 2025), they cannot afford to lose additional customers to other channels, including the gray market.
Enforcement Challenges
Questions remain about who will enforce the new law and what penalties will be imposed for violations. Will stores need to assign an employee to constantly ensure alcohol remains behind barriers, especially in self-service stores where alcohol shelves might be continuously exposed?
Slippery Slope Concerns
If one industry can regulate one product category, what prevents them from regulating others? The fuel industry could next target impulse purchase items like candy, chips, soda, or energy drinks, setting a dangerous precedent.
Call for Industry-Specific Solutions
The fuel industry should implement alcohol display bans at their own locations without involving the entire retail sector. The initiative was not consulted with trade representatives before being presented to the public, and no single industry has the right to unilaterally create law in Poland.