Temptation when queueing

The news that major supermarkets display unhealthy food and drink at the checkout is no surprise to any of us (read more).

We have all stood queueing in a shop staring at the rows of brightly coloured confectionery and crisps, not needing or really wanting it, but grabbing it anyway. The situation for parents must be even more unbearable, with many confectionery being positioned at the eye level of children, further encouraging them to pester their parents for a treat.

You can’t blame supermarkets for positioning products here as it undoubtedly increases sales, people cannot resist an impulse purchase especially when many of these items are on offer. However, many supermarkets promised over a decade ago to stop such unhealthy marketing practices. Obviously little has changed.

The suggestion by the Children’s Food Campaign is that the government should make this a key public health initiative, even widening the remit of the Advertising Standards Authority to include the positioning of unhealthy products. This could be a good idea, supermarkets are obviously not moving their products away from the checkouts willingly, perhaps a bit of force is necessary?