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Tesco becomes the first retailer in the UK to remove sweets and chocolates from checkouts

  • First major retailer in the UK to remove confectionery from checkouts across the full range of store formats, including smaller Metro and Express stores
  • Move follows research that found nearly two-thirds of shoppers said removing confectionery from checkouts would help them make healthier choices
  • News coincides with publication of Tesco’s second ‘Tesco and Society’ report, which details the progress the retailer has made against three big ambitions for society

Cheshunt, England, 2014-5-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — Tesco has today announced, following new customer research, that it will become the first retailer in the UK to remove sweets and chocolates from checkouts across the full range of store formats.

The research found nearly two-thirds (65%) of customers said removing confectionery from checkouts would help them make healthier choices when shopping.

67% of parents told Tesco that having no confectionery near the checkout would help them make healthier choices for their children.

Tesco removed sweets and chocolates from checkouts at larger Tesco stores 20 years ago, but for the first time they will be removed from checkouts at all stores, including Tesco Metro and Express convenience stores.

The retailer has committed to remove all sweets and chocolates by the end of December 2014.

Tesco Chief Executive Philip Clarke said:

“We all know how easy it is to be tempted by sugary snacks at the checkout, and we want to help our customers lead healthier lives.

“We’ve already removed billions of calories from our soft drinks, sandwiches and ready meal ranges by changing the recipes to reduce their sugar, salt and fat content. And we will continue to look for opportunities to take out more.

“We’re doing this now because our customers have told us that removing sweets and chocolates from checkouts will help them make healthier choices.”

Tesco was the first UK supermarket to remove sweets and chocolates from large stores, in 1994. Last year Tesco set out its ambition to use its scale for good, which included a commitment to help customers make healthier choices.

Tesco will be trialling a variety of healthier products at checkouts before implementing the full change across all stores at the end of the year.

Katie O’Donovan from Mumsnet said:

“Popping into a shop with a small child in tow can sometimes feel like navigating an assault course. If you’ve made it to the checkout in one piece it can be really frustrating to then be faced with an unhealthy array of sweets designed to tempt your child. It’s really positive to see a supermarket responding to the views of their customers and trying to make life that little bit easier.”

Ends

Notes to editors

  • Today Tesco is also publishing its second Tesco and Society report, which details progress the retailer is making against its three ‘big ambitions’ – improving health, reducing food waste and creating opportunities. The full Tesco and Society 2 report will be available on Tescoplc.com from 10:00 on Thursday 22nd May.
  • Removing sweets and chocolates from checkouts is part of a much wider ongoing effort from Tesco to help customers live healthier lives. Tesco is:
    • Making food on the shelves healthier. Tesco has removed three billion calories from soft drink ranges, 600 million from sandwiches and 92 million from ready meals. An additional 63 million portions of fruit and veg have been added to Tesco ready meals and soups. In January 2014, Tesco launched a new Healthy Living range. The new range helps customers control the amount of salt, sugar and fats they eat, without compromising on flavour.
    • Improving children’s relationship with food. Tesco is working with farmers and suppliers to help schoolchildren understand where the food they eat comes from and help them make healthier choices. Over 100,000 children have so far been taken to farms, fisheries and factories to show where cows are milked, where lettuce comes from, and how fish are prepared for sale as part of the ‘Eat Happy’ project.
    • Increasing awareness of Diabetes through a partnership with Diabetes UK. Tesco colleagues have raised over £10 million for Diabetes UK through a wide variety of fundraising work. This year Tesco helped run the biggest Type 2 diabetes campaign in history, reaching millions of people with posters and adverts. Thousands of Type 2 diabetes risk assessments have been conducted in Tesco pharmacies and online, and information about diabetes has been distributed to over a million customers.

For more information please contact the Tesco Press Office on
01992 644645

We are a team of over 500,000 people in 12 markets dedicated to providing the most compelling offer to our customers.

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