Sustainable Food Cities presentation

Junk Free Checkouts

Supermarket checkouts make you fat!

Amanda’s Story

Oh no, here we go again .....

• Chuck Snacks off the Checkout - reports and campaigning in 2003 & 2005

• original campaigning by Iona Lidington, who worked with community dental health teams and community dieticians.

Checkouts Checked OutCFC report 2012

• ‘No change at the till’. • Junk food often positioned at children’s eye level. • Bad practices now spreading to smaller format stores and

non-food retailers.• Recommendations for ASA on marketing rules and

government action on Responsibility Deal, as well as retailers.

Public Response: Wall of Shame

One moment is all it takes ....24 October 2012, BBC Radio 4 Today Programme

• An interview between Jim Naughtie and Sian Jarvis, Asda spokesperson, about traffic light labelling.

Sian Jarvis (Asda spokesperson):“One in three of our checkouts are guilt free”

vs James Naughtie (Today presenter):

“So two out of three of your checkouts are deliberately guilty. You try to tempt people, that’s your job.”

---> “Asda boss in PR gaffe”

Junk Free Checkouts Campaign

Checkout Challenge

www.junkfreecheckouts.org

Lidl's Journey

Nov 2012 - Responsibility Deal pledge on increasing fruit & veg consumption = introducing 1 x ‘Healthy Till’ in each store

Jan 2013 – 10 week trial resulted in 20% more traffic via that till

Spring 2013 – extended trail to 2 'Healthy Tills' per store

November 2013 – approached CFC to ask for further advice

Jan 2014 – introduction of healthy checkouts across all tills - inc all store formats; no seasonal exceptions; nutrition profiling model to determine products.

Tesco's Journey

20 years ago! - Removed sweets and chocolates from checkouts of larger stores.

Autumn 2013 – trial in 40% Express stores + extra in Extra stores

May 2014 – announced will remove all sweets and chocolates from all of its checkouts in all of store formats, by end of 2014

Common themes with Lidl: trials worked; customers approved

Will the dominoes now fall?

Waitrose, Asda and Morrisons- all waited to see details of Responsibility Deal pledge on food

promotion. But now … ????

M&S – will it make further improvements ?

Iceland, Aldi, WHSmith – any hope ?

Non-food retailers – how to engage them ?

Changing supermarket marketing habits for good

What we would like to see from our major retailers:Reformulation – less sugar, salt & fat in productsFront-of-Pack traffic light labellingPrice promotions – making healthy food more affordableBalance of promotions – shift to promoting healthier productsInfluencing promotional strategies of proprietary brands

But turkeys usually don't vote for Christmas

→ government intervention needed – not voluntary deals or no deals at all.

Possible Campaign Options 1) Surveys + Audits + Wall of Fame / Shame- ie. collection & display of information

1) The Checkouts Challenge – store level action

1) Letters to Supermarket Managers, head offices + Department of Health

2) Connect up with other public health groups

malcolm@sustainweb.org

www.childrensfood.org.uk

Follow us on twitter:@childrensfood