Tech-enabled convenience is exposing retailers to risk around underage sales, new research by compliance auditor Serve Legal shows.
In the past 12 months, 2,600 Serve Legal mystery shoppers made test purchases using rapid delivery services. All were under 25, yet only 45% were asked to show proof of age when their order was delivered, despite it containing restricted products like alcohol and cigarettes. Standard home delivery services fared better, with 72% of mystery shoppers asked for ID on delivery.
In-store, retailers were far more diligent, with 78% of mystery shoppers asked for proof of age. However, in 8,000 test purchases using self-scan checkouts, 73% of our mystery shoppers were asked to produce proof of age, compared to 79% who used a conventional checkout with a member of staff.