The Cleanup in the Checkout Aisle
Bed, Bath & Beyond ( BBBY ), Walmart ( WMT ), Target ( TGT ), supermarkets and all convenience stores like 7-11 must stop displaying junk food items like candy, gum, chips, cookies, and soda at checkout aisles because it induces obesity and diseases like diabetes. Instead, they must put fruit, vegetables and granola bars in their checkout aisles.
That's what the influential Center for Science in the Public Interest now says in a heavily detailed new report, "Temptation at Checkout: The Food Industry's Sneaky Strategy for Selling More." The advocacy group is now sending letters to retailers about the problem of a polluted food environment. It's also aiming to stop Coca-Cola's ( KO ) and Pepsi's ( PEP ) push to bundle soda and "salty junk food" near the checkout aisle, too. Similar shaming worked in the U.K., where three major retailers, Lidl, Tesco, and Aldi, each eliminated candy from checkout aisles.
Its a big business for the food industry, with about $5.5 billion of food, drinks and other products sold from checkout aisles in supermarkets alone. As of 2012, (the latest data available), businesses sold $11.3 billion worth of junk food, including 799 million pounds of potato chips and 1.2 billion pounds of cookies. They sold another $34 billion worth of candy (movie-sized candy, now a big hit), and soda sales amount to $76 billion annually.
Retailers could support their customers health, rather than pushing the consumption of extraand often unwantedcalories from candy, soda, and other junk food and sugary drinks, the Center says. Supermarkets and other stores that sell food, like Target, Walmart, and 7-Eleven, should adopt food and nutrition standards for checkout, selling only non-food and healthier food and beverage options there.
But will changing the offerings at the register help or hurt? If you're CVS ( CVS ), it hurts. The drugstore chain stopped selling tobacco products last year, and CVS reported an 8% drop in general merchandise sales last quarter because of the ban.
Last September, CVS Caremark became the first major pharmacy chain in the U.S. to stop selling cigarettes and tobacco-related products at its 7,600 retail outlets. Even though it said at the time it would sting sales by some $2 billion annually, the drug store chain said it was the right thing to do, making a bet on bolting its brand image to a more health conscious America. CVS also changed its name from CVS Caremark to CVS Health at the time. Walgreens ( WBA ) and Rite-Aid ( RAD ) have yet to follow suit.
But now, CVSs second quarter report reveals weak front-of-store business, as overall same-store sales grew a flat 0.5%. CVS blamed the sales weakness on the tobacco ban, which is cutting into valuable customer traffic and sales, given that smokers often pick up other products to buy. CVS shares have been taking hits since its earnings report came out. CVS generates about $139 billion in annual sales, which are helped by tobacco users other purchases, including impulse buys.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest is now sending letters to Bed, Bath & Beyond to rethink their candy sold in checkout aisles, and is ordering its members to bombard the retail chain with emails and tweets to pressure it to stop. The Susan and Michael Dell Foundation, the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation all back this latest effort by the Center.
The Center notes that one reason why it is so difficult to eat well in America today: retail marketing manipulates food choices.
It adds: Like food manufacturers who have agreed to policies on food marketing to children, they should voluntarily agree not to use placement fees to induce retailers to place unhealthy foods and beverages at checkout."
The advocacy group also says: Customers dont go to those stores with the idea of buying candy and snacks that are displayed at childrens eye level or pushed on tired adults susceptible to impulse buys.
Children, the report says, get, on average, 436 more empty calories each day from store-bought foods than from fast-food restaurants and school cafeterias.
The Center also wants health departments, other government agencies, hospitals, and other institutions to adopt healthy checkout policies for the properties they own or manage.
The ubiquity of food is also an issue, the advocacy group says. People are prompted to purchase food at shopping malls, gas stations, stadiums, workplaces, airports, movie theaters, bowling alleys, pharmacies, almost anywhere else they go, the Center says.
Children, too, encounter food through school cafeterias, school vending machines, fundraisers, parties, snack time at school, after-care programs, rewards for good behavior or performance, parks, soccer games, concerts, stadiums, toy stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, the zoo, circus, movies, and checkout counters at toy, clothing, home goods, and hardware stores, it says.
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Children, the report says, get, on average, 436 more empty calories each day from store-bought foods than from fast-food restaurants and school cafeterias.
I think every store that sells candy and gum and junk, should move it to another aisle instead ofthe checkout aisle.
Yeah, it's where they keep the "BIG" reese's cups also, where I KNOW I'll find them...
It's a well known fact that chocolate is good for you. I've interpreted that to say that any form of chocolate, be it mints, butterfingers, gummy bears (a long lost form of chocolate) will improve my life span. Thus far it's working.
Perhaps if people bought less candy and more granola, the stores would have granola snack in the checkout lane.
Perhaps people need to take responsibility for their actions instead of looking for a third party to blame.
Perhaps parents should be in control of what is bought at the store for their children to eat
Perhaps......
Feronia But I know it would ease a few frayed nerves of mothers who have kiddos that throw tantrums when mom says "no". EXACTLY!!
Fernoia
Those "frayed nerves" are part of the joys and responsibilities of good parenting, learning to say no and mean it
NWM , where I KNOW I'll find them
What??? Parents take control of their child's upbringing on eating healthy foods????
What country are you from? In America, the "Me" Gen does what they damn well please and mommy and daddy totally bow down to their demands. 'Course, then the parents complain about their obese kids - while being obese themselves - and blame it on society, such as CVS for having the food in such a tempting spot.
I personally think that grocery store arrangements are designed to make shopping more difficult to keep you in the store longer-- and that junk food permeates everything. Every where you go, there are junk food kiosks, in addition to junk food aisles.
Why is it that everything I want is on the top shelf? I'm 5' tall, and the top shelf is 6' up. Kitty litter, a necessity in my house, is on the top shelf. Either, I manage to pull one of the 20 lb containers to the edge, manage to tip it over, and try to stand under to catch it, or I have to find someone to help me reach it. And right in front of the brand I buy, there is a small kiosk with junk cat treats.
There are many ways they "hide" the things I want, so I have to search for them. Yet, every where I look, I can find candy, cookies, potato chips, etc.
1st
I know what you mean -- parental responsibility is a lot to ask!
Dowser
I never thought about it much, but I think you are right
We need to shop together! I can and will gladly reach the bottom shelf items for you!!!
I can tell you for a fact that any store you walk in to has a merchandising plan. Many years ago I worked at Kmart and that was one of my jobs once the stored opened, keeping the checkouts stocked! During the store set-up placement was very precise as well...I mostly worked on the end caps and all that darn j-hooked stuff! It was kind of interesting and probably changed the way I shop now...not saying I'm above an impulse buy but as a rule I steer clear!
I've heard people say the way to avoid a lot of the crap that in the grocery stores nowadays is to only shop the outside aisles...not aisles 2-15...just make a big circle, it's where they keep the fresh stuff!
LOL...oh and I'm 5'8" so I know exactly what you mean Raven! I'm always running across someone needing my long reach! Makes me nervous to see people having to climb up the shelves just to get something from the top!
Sounds like a plan!
It's a plot I tell you , a plot!
I read somewhere that a good rule of thumb in buying healthy foods are to ONLY go around the perimeter of the store....STAY AWAY FROM THE CENTER AISLES!!
Don't feel bad Dowser, I'm only 4 ft. 10 in. , and I hate everything about it!!!
Uppy.......OOOPS....I didn't see this until after I posted basically the same thing...sorry...
Uppy...,I have, and still do occasionally climb on shelves if there is nobody around. I can't stand to ask for help with anything....GGGRRRRR!!
Jennilee.....I feel your pain!!
no tall person has ever refused to help me, usually with a smile. I have never been refused help either. I have never been refused help either,only a really mean spirited person would refuse.
Dowser, I think you are right.
The people waiting in line behind the tantrum -throwing child have to wait until the parent either gives in, or finally settles the child down, AND the cashier has to wait to see what the parent is going to do before the order can be rung up. GGRRRRR!!
What??? Parents take control of their child's upbringing on eating healthy foods????
Forehead smack....What was I thinking??? DUH!!!