Table 1.
Checkout food policies in seven UK supermarket groups included in the study (adapted from Ejlerskov et al.( 20 ))
| Supermarket group (format)* | Checkout food policy category | Products that should not be displayed at checkouts | Products that can be displayed at checkouts | Applicable checkouts | Information source | Year (month) of implementation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clear & consistent | Sweets & chocolate | Healthier snacks such as dried fruit, nuts and cereal bars; 5-a-day, no ‘red’ traffic light ratings, in calorie-controlled packs, or deemed by Department of Health a ‘healthier snack’ | All checkouts | Annual report, supermarket web page | 2015 (January) |
| 2 (format a) | Vague or inconsistent | Confectionery | Not stated | Checkouts where families expected to shop with a trolley | Customer service, June 2017 | 2004 (unknown) |
| 2 (format b) | None | NA | NA | NA | Customer service, June 2017 | NA |
| 3 | Vague or inconsistent | Confectionery | ‘Guilt free’ checkouts (not defined) | 1/3 of checkouts | Radio interview and consumer report | 2012 (unknown) |
| 4 | Clear & consistent | Confectionery, chocolate & sweets | Healthier options including dried fruit, nuts, juices and water | All checkouts | Supermarket web page | 2015 (January) |
| 5 | None | NA | NA | NA | Customer service, May 2017 | NA |
| 6 | Vague or inconsistent | Sweets | Not stated | All checkouts | Customer service, September 2017 | 2014 (August) |
| 7 | Vague or inconsistent | Confectionery, crisps, cakes & biscuits | Not stated | All checkouts in company-owned stores, not franchise stores | Customer service, June 2017 | 2015 (September) |
NA, not applicable.
*
In one supermarket group, a different checkout food policy was applied to different store formats (e.g. large hypermarket v. city centre convenience store).