Can supermarkets help turn the tide on obesity? A report from one year of the Collaboration for Healthier Lives in the UK (CHL UK) In partnership with evaluators at the University of Oxford 1 In partnership with evaluators at the University of Oxford Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity is an independent and Southwark, and use these areas as a testing urban health foundation. The Charity focuses on ground for the most effective ideas. These two tackling complex health issues that are prevalent boroughs are in many ways typical of inner- in its local boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, city areas around the world, with significant but also relevant to other urban areas across the inequalities between low-income and more affluent UK and internationally. Childhood obesity is one of neighbourhoods. four core programmes focused on specific complex As a partner in the Collaboration for Healthier Lives, health issues. The partnership with Collaboration with a goal to share learnings for creating healthier Can supermarkets help turn the tide on obesity? for Healthier Lives (CHL UK) is one part of a larger food retail environments, Guy’s and St Thomas’ group of projects in the Charity’s childhood obesity Charity has partnered with CGF to produce this programme; which aims to tackle the inequality report. that exists for children and families in accessing nutritious diets. W: gsttcharity.org.uk Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity’s local insights T: @GSTTCharity and relationships in the community have enabled L: guy’s-and-st-thomas’-charity CHL UK to run targeted interventions in Lambeth The Consumer Goods Forum The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) is a global, themselves and their families. It’s about making parity-based industry network that is driven by healthier decisions easier and habitual for people its members to encourage the global adoption of in every community around the world. It is a global practices and standards that serves the consumer movement led by manufacturers, retailers, public goods industry worldwide. It brings together health authorities and local communities, delivering the CEOs and senior management of some 400 local movements in communities worldwide. There retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and are currently nine CHL initiatives running across 14 other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it countries, including CHL UK. reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, W: tcgfhealthierlives.com size, product category and format. T: @CGF_Health The CGF’s Collaboration for Healthier Lives (CHL) Coalition is about making it easier for people F: TheConsumerGoodsForum around the world to adopt healthier lives for L: the-consumer-goods-forum 2 - Can supermarkets help turn the tide on obesity? - Can supermarkets help turn the tide on obesity? 3 Can supermarkets help turn the tide on obesity? Contents Contents Foreword ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Executive summary ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................. 10 CHL UK participating companies .......................................................................................................................... 11 CHL UK collaborators, advisors and evaluators ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 11 The Collaboration for Healthier Lives Journey ......................................................................................................... 12 Countries with CHL initiatives ................................................................................................................................ 12 CHL UK in numbers ............................................................................................................................................. 14 Intervention tactics ..................................................................................................................................................... 16 The trials ....................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Pricing and promotional trials ................................................................................................................................... 20 Price promotion fruit & vegetable trial ..................................................................................................................... 20 Price and family-focussed promotions for healthier purchases ............................................................................... 22 Availability trial .......................................................................................................................................................... 24 Introducing a healthier version of a product ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 24 Editing choice across a category ........................................................................................................................... 26 Positioning trial ......................................................................................................................................................... 28 In-aisle positional changes ..................................................................................................................................... 28 Store location and availability trial ........................................................................................................................... 30 Shelf labelling trial ..................................................................................................................................................... 32 Shelf labelling trial .................................................................................................................................................. 32 Social feedback ........................................................................................................................................................ 34 Social norming ....................................................................................................................................................... 34 Other trials ................................................................................................................................................................... 36 Price promotion snacking trial ................................................................................................................................ 36 Promoting healthier children’s lunch items.............................................................................................................. 36 Advertising healthier yogurt alternatives ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 37 Promotion and in-store engagement for improved oral care ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 37 Change is on the horizon for the food sector ........................................................................................................... 38 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................... 40 4 - Can supermarkets help turn the tide on obesity? - Contents 5 Can supermarkets help turn the tide on obesity? Foreword Foreword Every child has the right to grow up accessing the things they need to be healthy. However, even in the UK, one of the world’s most developed countries with a strong public health system, it’s not always easy. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the link diverse stakeholders, leading to real change in between good population health, and healthy a retail environment is a complex process. We weight in particular, with a thriving economy. The are gathering useful data and learnings which we healthier and more resilient people are, the more are convinced will unlock new, creative ways of they’re able to work and shop, contributing to encouraging healthier lives. economic growth. The pandemic has highlighted An honest assessment of our first year is that whilst the important role that food manufacturers and some initiatives have been scaled across the UK, retailers can play in ensuring that all consumers we won’t achieve the full potential of our unique have access to the food and non-food products collaboration unless we do more to incorporate they need to lead healthy lives. health goals into the business planning process In 2018, we came together as a collective with between and within manufacturers and retailers. public health bodies, charities and academics to These discussions are underway and greater pioneer new ways of facing the health challenges regulation of the industry could help to set an even of the nation. We aimed to apply what was known playing field. in theory through international evidence about So while we are proud of our first year, we are clear what is effective