Independent retailers have called on alcoholic drinks suppliers and wholesalers to revamp the way they communicate promotions to the sector.

Addressing delegates from throughout the supply chain at the Federation of Wholesale Distributors' Drinksummit conference, retailer Terry Fieldhouse of TC's Minimarket in Rotherham said: "I would like greater collaboration between suppliers and wholesalers to get their message to me. We all have mobile phones and emails - why not use them to alert us to promotions?"

He added that suppliers could also make better use of wholesalers to spread the message. "You sometimes send dolly girls to my local wholesaler to promote your products, but when I ask them about pos they haven't a clue. A 15-minute question and answer session with a rep at the cash and carry would be useful for both sides."

He called the drinks industry's investment in responsible retailing ads "pointless". "We know the communities we work in. Who better than us to spread the Drink Aware message?"

Steve Morris of Londis in Shrewsbury called on suppliers to visit stores more often. "Spend more time with us and less with the multiples," he urged.

Stockport retailer Mark Johnson added: "We're not the dinosaurs you think we are. We don't just want posters; send us CDs, let us download materials - we can react quickly to take advantage of promotions."