Tesco to remove sweets and chocolates from all its checkouts
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Version 0 of 1. Tesco has promised to ban sweets and chocolates from all its checkouts in response to growing pressure from campaigners for supermarkets to tackle rising levels of obesity and warnings around high levels of sugar consumption. The supermarket had previously banned the snacks from its large stores, but sweets and chocolate remain prominently displayed by the checkouts in its 1,800 convenience stores in town centres and petrol stations. Chief executive Phil 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 leads healthier lives.” Around two in three customers said they wanted the sweets banished, adding the removals would help avoid confrontations with their children at the checkouts. The changes will be in place by the end of the year and trials are underway to replace the sweets with healthy snacks instead. It follows in the footsteps of discounter rival Lidl which announced a similar plan earlier this year to remove sweets from its own checkouts, putting dried and fresh fruit, oatcakes and juices in their place. Tesco’s decision ramps up the pressure on rival Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer, which both still sell sweets at the majority of their checkouts. |