Morrisons has announced that it is to test a junk-food-free checkout system in ten of its supermarkets, following the example of rivals such as Lidl, Aldi and Tesco, foodingredientsfirst.com and confectionarynews.com report.
This takes place in tandem with an alternative-snack checkout system, which is at present employed in a fifth of Morrisons supermarkets. The chain intends the junk-food-free checkout plan to be nationwide by February 2016.
Bottled water, fruit and nuts will take the positions of saccharine snacks.
David Potts, CEO of Morrisons, said, “We have been listening to parents and guardians who have told us that sweets on checkouts can sometimes lead to pestering from their children. This change will make the trip through the checkout easier and less stressful.”
The company’s nutritionist added, “We are doing what we can to help customers choose healthier foods. As well as taking chocolate away from checkouts, we are also removing sugar and salt from other food and drink products. Last year alone we removed nearly one billion calories and over 38 million teaspoons of sugar from our soft drinks.”
The UK’s government has praised the decision: its public health minister, Jane Ellison, stated, “It’s great that Morrisons has taken this positive step, which responds to a clear demand from their customers. Retailers have a major role to play in helping people make healthier choices.”
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Peter Donnelly. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
