The government may have softened its stance on HFSS promotions, but that doesn’t mean shoppers have.
Yes, bogofs are back on the table. But brands would be wise to resist treating this as a free pass to rewind the clock. The health-conscious shopper isn’t going anywhere. In fact, they’ve only grown more vocal, connected and influential.
Today’s consumers, especially younger ones, have been raised on wellness culture, sustainability, and ingredient transparency. They expect more from brands and aren’t afraid to hold them to account. Look at the work of Bite Back, a youth activist movement challenging a food system that has been “set up to fool us all”.
Trust in brands
According to our shopper panel, just 11% of UK shoppers trust brands to help them eat more healthily, and regulatory back-pedalling certainly isn’t going to improve that. If anything, it creates even greater tension between what’s allowed and what’s expected.
On the shopper side, nearly two-thirds (60%) say they feel great when a treat or indulgent brand they buy is on offer, while only 13% say they feel pressured to buy more than they need. The clear message? People want to feel in control, with 71% saying they only trust themselves to make healthier choices.
That leaves brands in a tricky position. The rules may be relaxing, but the expectations are rising. Shoppers want clarity, and they want to feel good about what they’re putting in their baskets. If brands revert to old promotional habits, they risk missing what’s really changed: not just what people buy, but why.
The question isn’t whether promotions work. It’s whether they work for your brand in terms of being long term, emotionally resonant and in line with what people value. And that’s where strategy can play a role.
We know price promotions can shift product. But brands risk confusing sales spikes for long-term brand strength – just because it sells, doesn’t mean it sticks.
Smarter brand-building
This is where many brands fall into a trap: relying too heavily on deep discounts, competing purely on price, and ultimately entering a race to the bottom. It’s a short-term high that can erode both margins and brand meaning over time.
The smarter play would be to reframe activation as brand-building.
Brands need to work harder to create campaigns that deliver on both equity and activation, whether that’s through in-store theatre, social media storytelling, or partnerships that connect value with values.
Take Tony’s Chocolonely. The brand refuses to run price promotions, instead building loyalty through its mission to make chocolate 100% slave-free. It earns attention with bold packaging, powerful in-store storytelling, and brand experiences like ‘choco-missions’ and giant sampling walls. This turns purpose into presence without having to rely on discounting.
That might mean doubling down on health credentials, rethinking pack sizes, or even shifting the conversation entirely from price cuts to product purpose.
The most successful brands won’t be the ones offering the deepest deals, but the ones using every touchpoint to reinforce what they stand for. Because once you’re known for price alone, it’s hard to go back.
Lorna Hawtin, chief strategy officer at Zeal
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