State monopoly plans to take online wine shops to court
According to Iceland Monitor's sources business at Sante has been very good.
Kristinn Magnússon
The Icelandic state-run seller of alcoholic beverages, ÁTVR, intends to request an injunction on online wine shops that sell directly to Icelandic consumers.
As Iceland Monitor reported earlier this month Icelandic importer Sante is attempting to circumvent the state monopoly on selling alcoholic beverages by establishing a sister company in France that operates an online shop but stores its stock in an warehouse in Reykjavik. Foreign online wine shops have been servicing Icelandic consumes for several years but the Sante business model allows customers of the French seller to enjoy shorter delivery times and lower delivery costs – or even pick their purchases up in person at the centrally located warehouse.