This powerful cocktail with top retail venues, special shows and promotions will push Britons to spend around 0 370 million on high-calorie delicacies for the big weekend. But this Easter will be one last supper for supermarkets and their suppliers to suppress the way in which high-fat, high-salt or high-sugar (HFSS) foods are sold in England. In the fall, the new laws, part of the government’s anti-obesity strategy, will ban the sale of thousands of unhealthy products, including chocolate bars, cookies and potatoes from these lucrative locations. Volume bids such as “buy one get one for free” or “3 for 2” in HFSS products will also be banned, as retail analyst Bryan Roberts describes it as “the most significant change in supermarket operations and finances since they were invented.” Cadbury’s Creme Eggs. Photo: Radharc Images / Alamy “There’s a reason snacks and pastries are called impulsive foods,” says Roberts. “They are not often on someone’s shopping list, but people tend to pick them up. They rely on visibility for many of their sales and this is deducted. “This has a huge financial impact on retailers and suppliers.” But the government is staring at one of the worst obesity rates in Europe, with two in three adults in the UK officially overweight or obese in an escalating NHS crisis costing 6 6 billion a year and society at large 27 27 billion £. The pandemic has also seen a decline in childhood obesity levels in England. In its guide to retailers, published this month, the government says the promotional environment in supermarkets was part of the problem. “It did not always align with the guidelines for healthy eating” and “makes it more difficult for families to make healthier choices when shopping.” Voluntary programs by retailers were “very limited and unsuccessful” in changing the shopping environment, he says. The government ban on snack advertising on the internet and before 9pm on television is set to begin next year. At a time when rising cost of living is plaguing households, these volume discounts may seem like a way to save money, but the data is turning against them. They encourage people to buy and eat more than they intend. The data from the data company IRI give an indication of how sensitive buyers are to these retail tricks. He estimates the sweeping changes could see HFSS food sales – a long list of products such as chips, sweets, chocolate, cakes, chips, cookies, pizza and ice cream – fall by 7 1.7 billion a year. Analysts say half of all chocolate is sold for promotion. HFSS refers to foods that earn four or more points and beverages that earn one or more points to a Nutrition Scorecard developed by the Food Standards Agency. Points are awarded for energy, saturated fat, sugar and sodium per 100 grams and are deducted for things like fiber and protein. The golden bunny by Lindt & Spruengli. Photo: Winfried Rothermel / AP This means that not all products in a category will be affected, with manufacturers being able to redesign products to avoid sanctions – something that happened quickly before the 2018 sugar tax. So what does this shake up mean for the weekly store? A look at the future can be seen in tests conducted by Tesco and Sainsbury’s. At the Tesco Extra store in Royston, Hertfordshire, instead of chocolate, shoppers are greeted with a promotion of garden compost and “clubcard price” offers on large whiskeys and gin (alcohol is not affected by the new rules). Buyers should go for an Easter egg hunt if they want to buy one. At crucial ends of the aisle, the usual selection of chocolates, chips and soft drinks has been replaced by offers of tea, coffee, canned fruit and vegetables and spice sets for meals – not to mention calorie-free options such as toilet rolls and detergents. Shoppers also get signs of healthy eating as they shop. In the aisle with breakfast cereal, a sign indicates “low sugar” options, such as Weetabix. Elsewhere they are told that canned beans and vegetables are a “source of protein”. There is still hope for potato lovers in a section labeled “below 100 calories”. Tesco aims to increase sales of health products, as a percentage of total sales, from 58% today to 65% by 2025. When it reports doubling pre-tax profits to more than 2 2 billion this week, the CEO Ken Murphy said he was in “good shape” for the new legislation. “We are really clear on how to re-make our stores merchandise,” he said, adding that he would work with suppliers to reshape products and make them healthier. The impending changes are contrasted from within the food industry at a time when many companies are struggling with rising costs. Karen Betz, executive director of the Food and Beverage Federation, said she was concerned that by implementing these measures now the government was “only adding to food price inflation”. Subscribe to the daily Business Today email or follow the Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk The rules apply to retailers with more than 50 employees and stores larger than 2,000 square feet (186 square feet). Promotions such as “50% off” or “1 εξο savings” are still allowed, leaving businesses with some room for reversal. Ignacio Vazquez, senior marketing director at ShareAction, which has campaigned to persuade listed companies, including Tesco and Unilever, to sell healthier food, said the impact of the new rules would depend on whether companies followed suit. the “spirit” as opposed to the letter of the law. “Companies make decisions that have an impact on the products we buy and influence our choices,” he said. “This legislation seeks to encourage companies to do things differently, so that consumers are pushed to buy healthier products instead of spending more money on unhealthy foods.”
