Has the Calais booze cruise reached the end of the line?

UK alcohol retailers are pulling out of Calais, which could mean the end of the French booze cruise for Brits. There was a time when we used to flock to Calais to stock up on booze and make the most of bargain basement bubbly. We could save up to £10 on a bottle of champagne and £5 on a bottle of wine in France. We'd take our cars across to Calais on the ferry and fill our boots with booze. But it seems our beloved booze cruise could be a thing of the past.

Retailers in France are facing a reduction in profits and cheaper prices in the UK mean that wine lovers don't have to travel so far to find a good deal. The British pound has slumped against the euro, so the exchange rate has made booze in France less of a bargain. And once the price of the ferry ticket is factored into the equation, the Calais booze cruise is no longer as affordable as it once was.

The decline in the number Brits taking a booze cruise was noted when alcohol sales in the lead up to last Christmas were low in Calais, a time when profits would normally be soaring.

Oddbins closed its Calais store earlier in the year, while Sainsbury's has taken the decision to close their wine store as they haven't been raking in suitable profits in France. Instead, Sainsbury's is encouraging people to buy bulk wine packages in the UK, instead of embarking on a booze cruise. Tesco Vins Plus in Calais is also expected to close, while Majestic Wine has declared a 28% fall in alcohol sales. But Majestic Wine has no plans to close its stores for the foreseeable future.

Though less Brits are embarking on a booze cruise, ferries across to Calais are still doing well thanks to UK travellers' disinclination to fly to Europe. A combination of BA strikes and volcanic ash disruption has encouraged many of us to take to the water for holiday transportation. So even though the booze cruise era might be drowning, ferry companies are still staying afloat.

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