Shoppers buy more fruit as sweets are ditched at tills

MANY of us have been tempted by an extra treat when queuing at a supermarket checkout. And it could all be down to shops’ layouts – after a study found that prioritising fruit over sweets encourages healthier choices.

Placing an expanded fruit and vegetable range near store entrances could boost their sales by 10,000 portions each week. And, at the same time, switching sweets for water at checkout counters could reduce their sales by 1,500 per store.

The study, by the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit at Southampton University, looked at loyalty card customers in six Iceland stores. Three of the shops made the layout changes whereas three did not.

Customers’ buying habits were monitored for three months before the changes were made and for six months afterwards.

The Government already has plans in place to remove choco

‘Beneficial for population diet’

late, crisps and sweets from checkout displays to reduce obesity levels.

And Professor Janis Baird, one of the researchers, said: ‘These results provide novel evidence to suggest that the intended UK Government ban... could be beneficial for population diet.’

Dr Christina Vogel, of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, added: ‘Altering the layouts of supermarkets could help people make healthier food choices.’

Matt Downes, of Iceland, said: ‘We hope that the outcomes of the study provide insights for the wider retail industry... about the impact of store merchandising.’

The findings were published in PLOS Medicine.