Alcohol Display Rules in Ireland: The 3 Legal Options for Mixed Retail Shops

Alcohol display rules in Ireland are not a grey area. Since 12 November 2020, every mixed retailer with an off-licence – from the symbol-group convenience store to the forecourt shop and the independent grocer – has had to choose one of three legal ways to show beer, wine and spirits. Get it right and your drinks fixture is compliant, tidy and still sells. Get it wrong and you are exposed at your next inspection.

Alcohol display rules in Ireland: who they apply to

The rules apply to a mixed trading premises – any shop that holds an off-licence and also sells groceries or other everyday goods. Think convenience stores, supermarkets, forecourts and neighbourhood grocers. Dedicated off-licences, where alcohol is the main business, are not covered by the structural separation requirements.

The aim is simple: alcohol should not sit alongside bread, milk and crisps where every shopper – including children – walks past it on the way to the till.

Option 1 – A separate area

This is the "shop-within-a-shop" approach that most larger stores have taken.

• Alcohol sits in one area, separated from the rest of the shop by a physical barrier at least 1.2 metres high.
• Products and advertising must not be visible through the barrier.
• Customers must not have to walk through the alcohol area to reach other goods.

Done well, a separate area becomes a destination: wood-shelved, well-lit, and closer to a specialist off-licence than a supermarket aisle. That is where premium wine and Irish craft spirits earn their margin.

Option 2 – Closed storage units

For smaller floor plans, alcohol can be kept in closed cabinets.

• Each unit can be up to 2.2 metres high.
• It must be covered with material up to 1.5 metres high so products cannot be seen when the unit is closed.
• The unit must stay closed when not in use.

Option 3 – Up to three open units

This is the option most independents and forecourts use, and it is where display choice really matters.

• No more than three units, placed next to each other.
• Each unit no more than 1 metre wide and no more than 2.2 metres high.

Three metres of frontage is not much, so every shelf has to work. Wooden units that fit inside those limits help you get more facings into the space, and they look the part next to premium wine and spirits.

Wooden units that fit inside the open-unit size limits

Each of these is under 1 metre wide and under 2.2 metres high. Always confirm your final layout with your licensing advisor or local HSE environmental health officer.

See the full range in Wine & Spirits Displays, or ask us for a custom-sized unit built to fit your three-metre run exactly.

Behind the counter: the rule most shops forget

Spirits kept behind the till are still covered. They must be out of reach of the public, carry no advertising, and not be visible to customers. That usually means a closed back-counter cabinet rather than the open gantry many shops still have.

Compliance checklist for your drinks fixture

1. Pick the option that suits your floor plan – separate area, closed units, or up to three open units.
2. Measure every open unit: 1 metre wide maximum, 2.2 metres high maximum, no more than three, side by side.
3. Check sight lines through any barrier – no bottles or posters visible from outside the area.
4. Move all alcohol advertising into the separate area or inside the units.
5. Close off or cover the back-counter spirits.
6. Keep your off-licence and Revenue licence details up to date.

Licences and official forms

• Revenue – Retailer's Off-Licence (how to apply and renew)
• Courts Service – Spirit, beer or wine retailer's off-licence guide (court certificate process)

FAQ

Does the 1 metre limit apply to each unit or to all three together?

To each unit. You can have up to three open units, each no more than 1 metre wide and 2.2 metres high, placed next to each other.

Can I put alcohol on a gondola end or near the entrance?

Not in a mixed shop, unless it is inside your separate area or a compliant storage unit. Promotional placement elsewhere in the store is exactly what the rules were written to stop.

Do the rules apply to a dedicated off-licence?

No. The structural separation rules apply to mixed trading premises – shops that sell alcohol alongside groceries or other goods.

Can you build a display to fit my space?

Yes. We make bespoke wooden displays in Dublin and supply the full ESPOSIT range for Ireland and the UK. Send us your measurements and we will suggest a layout that fits the rules.