Training retail staff to be ‘age OK’ with Show Me I.D

As if convenience stores weren’t busy enough with stock control, bookkeeping and the actual business of retailing, complex age restrictions apply to many products, something that can slow down staff training and leave retailers open to risk.

“There are strict laws and regulations governing the sale of age-restricted products in Ireland,” said Alan O’Donnell, manager of Regan’s Supervalu in Firhouse, Dublin.

Age-restricted products include alcoholic drinks, National Lottery tickets, and the various types of tobacco products including cigarettes, loose tobacco, pipe tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, and even cigarette papers and filters.

“These laws are in place to protect young people from accessing products that are considered harmful or inappropriate for their age group,” O’Donnell said.

Unsurprisingly, there are very serious consequences for retailers who breach the laws around age-restricted products. Retailers who sell age-restricted products to minors can face fines of up to €3,000.

In addition, if a retailer repeatedly violates age-restricted product sale laws, their licence to sell these products could be suspended or revoked entirely.

O’Donnell said that at his store staff have been trained to understand the rules, including any variation on a product-to-product basis.

“We are committed to ensuring all staff at Regan’s SuperValu Firhouse fully understand and comply with the laws around age-restricted products by training them on the acceptable forms of ID, and the variations of age-restricted products. For example, it is crucial that our staff are aware of the various types of tobacco products which are age-restricted,” he said.

“Our staff have been trained on the acceptable forms of identification, which include the Garda Age Card, a driver’s licence and passport. In addition, it is important that staff are aware of counterfeit forms of identification that minors may use to purchase age-restricted products.”

An in-store refusals register ensures that staff record the names of individuals who fail to provide acceptable identification when attempting to purchase age-restricted products, ensuring that once a minor is denied at the point of sale, they cannot attempt to do so again while underage, he said.

Staff at Regan’s Supervalu received interactive training provided by the Show Me I.D programme, which O’Donnell said has been greatly beneficial in complementing the training it already provided to staff.

“The module places the user into hypothetical situations that they are likely to encounter in a retail environment, including what to do when a minor attempts to purchase any age-restricted product or when an unacceptable form of identification is provided,” he said.

The Show Me I.D module is zero cost and can be completed on a phone, tablet or laptop, which means staff have readily available access to a valuable learning resource to help them in being a responsible retailer.

“The online module has helped our staff remain informed and assured in handling situations in which minors attempt to purchase age-restricted products,” he said.

Regan’s SuperValu has encouraged all staff to complete the training module, and they have been very receptive to it as it helps in their everyday work.

“We are aware that situations in which minors attempt to purchase age-restricted products can lead to potentially combative and confrontational situations for our staff, so the ability to offer a training module that provides them with relevant examples and tips to best handle these situations has been enormously helpful for confidence, especially among our younger staff members,” O’Donnell said.

In the end, the training is there to support staff and put owners’ and managers’ minds at ease. O’Donnell said that the Show Me I.D – Be Age OK programme had significantly raised awareness among staff of the laws and regulations governing the sale of age-restricted products.

“These laws are extremely important in protecting young people in our local communities from alcohol, tobacco and gambling addictions, and it is our responsibility as retailers to adhere to them,” he said.

“To have retail training available via technology and the accessibility of the programme is a major attraction to busy retailers and our staff. Adherence to the law is extremely important to us in ensuring the protection of young people in our local communities.”