With even the most pimped-up in-aisle displays not delivering in trials in the months leading to this week’s introduction of new HFSS rules, supermarkets have thrown caution – and their tape measures – to the wind. Who needs a gondola end when you can have no aisle? Why not tuck a special display just around the corner? Or pile stuff up against posts and pillars?
On the one hand it’s testament to the industry that it’s hastily applied the late-running, complex, poorly conceived and often vaguely drafted HFSS legislation to the best of its abilities. On the other hand, when you see Tesco stores with pallets of Quality Streets piled high in prominent locations it’s hard to conclude the spirit of the rules is always being upheld.
No question most supermarkets will be compliant, though some of the discounters don’t appear to be entirely ready, if social media pictures are anything to go by. As to independent convenience stores, if they fall foul of the new rules, who can blame them, after the government inexplicably classified symbol members as large businesse.
Besides, retailers will surely have been reassured first by the admission from Trading Standards there isn’t the budget to pay for inspections of this complexity or scale, and second, the apparent contempt the new government has for this legislation, with new PM Liz Truss again reiterating her disinterest “in how many two-for-one offers you buy at the supermarket”, at the Conservative Party Conference this week.
The general sense is that government has left the industry to get on with it. There’s been zero communication or public service announcements to explain to confused shoppers what it’s doing let alone why, with supermarkets doing their best to communicate the reasons.
How effective will they be? Trials suggest consumption will fall in HFSS categories up to a point. Multibuys have also fallen in some major HFSS categories. But rapid price inflation and the cost of living crisis means we will undoubtedly see all sorts of changes to the shopping basket, and cause and effect on healthy eating patterns will be hard to unpick.
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